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THE    AMERICAN    IN    FRANCE. 


A  CONVERSATION  UNDER  DIFFICULTIES. 

*' Never  go  to  France  unless  you  know  the  lingo. 
For  if  you  do,  like  me,  why  you'll  repent,  by  jingo." 

Tom  Hood. 


Why  even  the  littU  children  in  France  speak  French  ! '  —ADDISON. 

DRDRY'S 

RECREATIVE 
FRENCH  GRAMMAR ; 

BEING 

IN  AN  AMUSING  POINT 
OF  VIEW,  IT  IS 

ALIKE  SUITABLE 

FOR 

SCHOOL,   YOUTH,   OR  THE  ADULT, 

BY  EDWARD  JAMES  DRURY. 
IVi^A  numerous  humorous  Woodcuts. 

ALSO   A   CONCISE   GUIDE   TO    PARIS. 

LONDON : 
REEVES  AND   TURNER,  196,  STRAND. 

NEW  YORK: 
SCRIBNER  AND  WELFORD. 

1883. 


"  Knowledge  the  wing  wherewith  we  fly. " 
Shakespeare. 


?C21M 


The  author  desires  to  call  attention  to  some  opinions  of  the 
presSj  shown  at  the  end,  which  had  reference  to  his  for- 
merly "  Comical  French  Grammar  ;  "  he  thinks  they  7tiay 
be  accepted  as  peculiarly  favourable  to  it.  The  Edition  has 
since  then  been  sold  out. 

It  did  seem  to  him  however  there  was  an  idea  then  pre- 
valent, that  had  a  similar  kind  of  grammar  suitable  for 
schools  and  scholars  appeared,  it  would  have  been  most 
acceptable.  He  has  therefore  revised  it,  striving  to  7?iake  it 
adaptable  alike  for  youth  and  adult  without  destroying  its 
originality  or  co?nicality. 

To  distinguish  the  present  edition  from  the  former  one,  he 
has  altered  the  title  to  that  of  "  Recreative  French 
Grammar,"  which  is  easily  to  be  understood,  free  from  dry 
superfluities,  yet  full  of  everything  necessary  for  a  sure 
acquisition  of  the  French  language  in  a  month,  but  only  by 
those  who  will  trouble  themselves  to  go  carefully  and  earnestly 
through  it.  _^  ^    _ 

All  translations  of  examples  from  the  French  into  Eng- 
lish are  rendered  literally,  so  that  the  student  may  become 
accustomed  to  the  general  formation  of  French  sentences. 


N'ayant  ni  demand^  k  Sa  Majestd,  ni  regu  d'Elle  la  per- 
mission de  lui  dddier  cet  ouvrage,  I'auteur  se  borne  k  dire : 
Dieu  la  bdnisse! 


Neither  having  asked  for,  nor  received  from  Her  Majesty 
the  permission  to  dedicate  this  work  to  Her,  the  author  Umits 
himselftosay— GOD  BLESS  HER! 


**  Novelty  is  the  great  parent  of  pleasure.''— SouT-a, 

**  Les  grammaires :  peut-etre  y  a-t-il  de  la  temerite  a  en  vouloir 
grossir  le  nombre." — Noel  and  Chapsal. 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  French  language  is  divided  into  parts  of  speech  just 
the  same  as  the  English.  Good  English  scholars  will,  of 
course,  find  the  least  difficulty  in  acquiring  French.  The 
knowledge  of  grammar  is  indispensable  to  the  free  use  of 
any  language.  This  his  French  grammar,  without  attempt- 
ing anything  more  than  novelty  itself,  the  author  has 
striven  to  make  as  pleasing  as  it  is  possible  for  dry,  nasty 
stuff  to  be,  by  leaving  out  trifling  distinctions  and  super- 
fluities, too  many  peculiarities  and  comparisons — thus 
making  it  as  simple  as  it  is  possible  for  a  real  grammar  to 
be. 

If  "  milk  for  babes  "  be  the  best  nourishment,  whether 
they  are  adults  or  just  born,  then  the  following  lines  will 
describe  grammar  better  than  anything  else,  for  when 
once  learned,  they  are  never  forgotten. 

Three  little  words  you  oft  may  see, 

Called  Articles ;  as  :  ^,  An,  The. 

Noun  is  the  name  of  anything, 

As  :  Sky,  Earth,  Spirit,  Tea  and  Gin. 

An  Adjective  describes  a  Noun, 

As  :  *My  Dog,  *Her  Dog  ;  Great,  Small,  Brown. 

In  place  of  Nouns  do  Pronouns  stand. 

As :  /,  You,  He,  would  kiss  her  hand. 

Verbs  speak  of  actions  being  done, 

As  :  Eat,  Drink,  Speak,  Sleep,  Kiss,  Sigh,  Stun. 

How  things  are  done  sly  Adverbs  tell. 

As  :  Sloujly,  Smoothly,  Sweetly,  Well. 

And  Prepositions  come  before 

Their  Nouns  ;  as  :  On,  Behind  the  door. 

Conjunctions  Join  two  words  together. 

As  :  Man  and  Woman,  Wind  or  Weather. 

But  Interjections  show  surprise. 

As  :  Ah,  how  pretty  !  Oh,  what  eyes  ! 

The  whole  are  termed  nine  parts  of  speech. 

Which  all  should  learn  if  France  they'd  reach. 


*  My  and  Her  in  the  English  language  are  Pronouns,  but  in 
French  they  are  Adjectives.     (See  p.  33. ) 


6  Introduction, 

The  very  best  reading-book  is  either  a  French  Bible  or 
Prayer  Book  (Protestant  and  Catholic  versions  may  be 
purchased  cheaply).  The  quotations  in  such  are  very 
familiar,  and  the  language  pure ;  so  that  by  the  frequent 
use  of  the  sentences  and  prayers,  they  become  indelibly 
impressed  on  the  memory. 

The  examples  in  this  Grammar  have  been  extracted 
from  noted  French  authors. 

No  one  need  be  under  the  impression  that  French  is 
difficult  to  learn  :  if  students  will  thoughtfully  and  care- 
fully peruse  my  grammar  they  will  be  sure  to  find 
instruction  and  recreation  combined,  bearing  in  mind 
always,  that  no  beaten  track  has  been  followed,  but  that 
comicality  and  originality  are  considerably  mixed  up  with 
utility  and  reality.  '    E.  J.  Drury. 


Un  7iouveau  jeu  de  cartes^  le  jeu  de  beautes  ;  qui  gagne  ? 
A  new  game  of  cards,  the  Game  of  Beauties ;  who  wms  ? 

Une  main  remplie  de  beautes  est  sure  de  gagner :  a  hand- 
full  of  beauties  (or  court  cards)  is  sure  to  win. 

J^aimerais  mieux  voir  entrer  chez  moi  une  jolie  femnie^ 
qu'un  vilain  creancier — I  would  like  better  to  see  (to) 
enter  my  home  a  pretty  woman  than  an  ugly  creditor. 


FRENCH   GRAMMAR. 


The  French  language  consists  of  twenty-five  letters,  pro- 
nounced thus  :  Ah^  Bay^  Say^  J^CLy^  ^,  ^Jf-,  Zhay^  Ahshy 
E,  Zhee,  Kah,  Ell,  Emmy  EnUy  O,  Fay,  Keu,  Air,  S, 
Tay,  Euy  Vay^  Eexe^  Yee^  Zed. 

Vowels  are  A^  E,  /,  (7,  U,  V,  pronounced  A/i,  A,  E, 
(9,  Euy  Yee. 

There  are  but  two  Genders,  Masculine  and  Feminine. 
Parts  of  Speech  are  Article,  Noun,  Adjective,  Pronoun, 
Verb,  Adverb,  Preposition,  Conjunction,  Interjection;  the 
first  five  are  decUnable,  the  remaining  four  do  not  alter. 

ARTICLES. 

ARTICLES  DISTINGUISH  NOUNS. 

I  St  is  the  Definite :  le,  for  masculine,  la,  feminine, 
smgular;  les,  plural,  for  both  genders,  meaning  the; 
as,  le  pere,  the  father;  la  m^re,  the  mother;  les  enfants, 
the  children. 

2nd  is  the  Indefinite  :  un,  masculine;  une,  feminine, 
meaning  a  or  an  ;  as,  un  homme,  a  man ;  une  femme, 
a  woman. 

3rd,  Partitive  :  du,  masculine,  de  la,  feminine,  singu- 
lar; and  des,  plural;  meaning  some  in  the  Affirmative, 
and  any  in  the  Interrogative  and  Negative ;  du  pain, 


8  Drury's  French  Grammar 

some  bread ;  de  la  viande,  some  meat ;  des  enfants,  some 
children. 

4th,  Contractive  :  being  a  contraction  of  the  Definite 
Article,  and  the  Preposition  de  or  d, ;  such  as,  du  iordele, 
singular;  and  des  for  de  les,  plural;  meaning,  of^  or  from 
the ;  au,  for  i  /?,  singular;  aux,  for  cL  les,  plural;  mean- 
ing to,  or  at  the;  as,  Avez-vous  coupd  du  pain  (not,  de  le 
pain),  have  you  cut  of  the  bread?  Avez-vous  mangd 
des  noix  ?  (not,  de  les  noix),  have  you  eaten  of  the  nuts  ? 
j'ai  donne  mon  pain  au  gar^on  (not,  a  le  gargon),  I  have 
given  my  bread  to  the  boy;  j'ai  donne  des  ordres  aux 
domestiques  (and  not,  d  les  domestiques),  I  have  given 
orders  to  the  servants. 

Mem. — The  Partitive  Article  is  so  termed  because  it 
denotes  fractionally:  some  or  any,  portion,  piece,  bit  of 
anything ;  affirmatively :  il  a  du  pain,  de  la  viande,  et  de 
/'argent ;  he  has  some  bread,  some  meat,  and  some  money, 
in  the  singular  sense ;  and,  il  a  des  fils,  des  filles,  et  des 
amis  :  he  has  some  sons,  so7?ie  daughters,  and  some  friends, 
in  the  plural.  Interrogatively  :  a-t-il  du  pain,  dela  viande, 
ou  de  /'argent?  has  he  any  bread,  any  meat,  or  any 
money  ? — singular  :  a-t-il  des  amis  ? — has  he  any  friends  ? 
plural :  or,  Avez-vous  donne  des  ordres  ?  have  you  given 
any  orders  (to  the  servants)  ?  In  a  Negative  sense,  de  or 
d'  is  made  use  of  in  place  of  the  Article;  as,  il  n'a  pas  de 
pain,  de  viande,  de  pommes  de  terre,  ou  Sargent ;  he  has 
not  any  bread,  ariy  meat,  any  potatoes,  or  any  money. 

Some  is  always  expressed  in  French  before  each  Noun, 
whereas  in  English  it  is  more  frequently  understood. 

Le  and  la  become  1'  (apostrophe)  before  a  singular 
noun  commencing  with  a  vowel  or  silent  h  ;  also  instead 
of  du,  or  de  la  de  1'  is  made  use  of;  and  for  au  or  a  lay 
a  r  ;  the  reason  for  these  alterations  is,  that  two  vowels 
coming  together  cannot  be  properly  pronounced,  thus  the 
Article's  vowel  gives  way  before  the  Noun's  vowel,  as :  Pen- 
fant,  the  child ;  Vhomme,  the  man ;  de  Veau,  of  the  water ; 
de  V horizon,  of  the  horizon ;  i  Vabtme,  to  the  abyss ;  h 
Vhopltal,  to  the  hospital,  masculine;  feminine,  Voreille, 
the  ear ;  de  Vame,  of  the  soul ;  cL  V hospitalite^  to  the  hos- 
pitality. 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View, 


REPETITION  OF  ARTICLES. 


Articles  precede  and  can 
^;?/)' be  used  with  Nouns;  con- 
trary to  the  EngUsh  language 
they  are  always  repeated, 
no  matter  how  many  times 
they  may  appear  in  a  sen- 
tence; as, 

Le  repos  du  pere  et  de  la  mere  fut 
trouble  par  les  cris  des  enfants.  The 
repose  of  the  father  and  oj  the  mother 
was  troubled  hy  the  cries  of  the  chil- 
dren. 

Mem. — The  Preposition  de  must  not  be  mistaken  for 
the  Article ;  it  has  not  a  fractional  meaning,  but  it  has  a 
general  sense  of  some  in  a  quantity ;  and  is  also  made  use 
of  when  an  Adjective  of  quality  precedes  a  Noun  instead 
of  the  Article ;  as : 

II  y  a  </(?  bons  manages,  mais  11  n'y  en  a  point  de  delicieux.  There 
are  some  good  \R2ccx\2jg^%,  but  there  are  not  any  ^delicious. 

II  a  de  bon  pain,  de  bonne  viande,  et  de  bons  amis  j  he  has  some 
good  hrea.df  some  good  vae&ty  and  some  £ood  friends. 

De  or  d'  only,  is  made  use  of,  irrespective  of  gender 
and  number  of  the  Noun,  in  the  sense  of  some  or 
any. 

Again :  the  Preposition  de  is  frequently  used  before 
Nouns  and  Verbs,  but  in  a  different  sense ;  for  further 
particulars  see  page  64. 

De  is  also  used  instead  of  the  Article,  after  Adverbs 
of  quantity  ;  assez^  enough ;  beaucoup^  many,  much  ; 
combienl  how  many,  how  much?  moins,  less ;  peu,  little ; 
plus,  more ;  as,  j'ai  assez  de  pain ;  combien  de  pain  avez- 
vous  ?  I  have  enough  of  bread ;  how  much  of  bread  have 
you? 

NOUNS. 

Noun  is  the  name  of  anything :  Father,  Mother,  Love, 
Baby,  Air,  Cradle,  Frying-Pan,  Spirit,  Napkin,  &c.,  such 
are  termed  Common  Nouns.  Each  one  requires  an 
Article,  or  Pronoun- Adjective,  to  aid  declension,  i.e.  to 
show  the  genders,  numbers,  and  cases  (though  repeated 


10  Drurfs  French  Grammar 

many  times  in  a  sentence),  as,  La  vanite,  la  honte,  et  le 
temperament  font  souvent  la  valeur  des  hommes,  et  la 
vertu  des  femmes.  The  vanity,  the  shame,  and  the  tem- 
perament make  often  the  bravery  of  some  men,  and  the 
virtue  of  some  women.  Should  a  Noun  appear  without  an 
Article,  &c.,  it  will  be  found  to  have  an  Adjective  or  Ad- 
verbial sense,  though  poets  do  not  always  repeat  them,  so 
as  to  keep  to  metre.  An  Adjective  will  sometimes  ap- 
pear between  them;  as,  Isi j'olie  femme,  the 
A  ^{-^^  \jS  pretty  woman ;  les  sept  enfants,  the  seven 
^^LAlC^^LJcl  children.  Proper  Nouns,  such  as  Names  of 
Individuals,  Rivers,  Countries,  may  require  the  Article  or 
not,  according  to  custom;  but  practice,  by  perusing 
French  books  or  newspapers,  is  the  best  method  for  such 
knowledge. 

Nouns  are  declined  into  the  Nominative,  Genitive,  Da- 
tive, and  Accusative  Cases,  singular  and  plural,  as  follows ; 
the  Nominative  and  the  Accusative  are  spelt  alike : — 

MASCULINE.  PLURAL. 

Nom.  le  pere,  the  father.  les  peres,  the  fathers. 

Gen.   duphe,  of  the  father.        des  plres,  of  the  fathers. 
Dat.   auplre,  to  the  father.        aux peres,  to  the  fathers. 

Nom.  rhomme,  the  man.  les  hommes,  the  men. 

Gen.    de  Phomme,  of  the  man.     des  hommes,  of  the  men. 
Dat.    d  rhomme,  to  the  man.     aux  hommes,  to  the  men. 

FEMININE.  PLURAL. 

Nom.  la  mere,  the  mother.  les  meres,  the  mothers. 

Gen.  de  la  mere,  of  the  mother,  des  meres,  of  the  mothers. 

Dat.  d  la  mere,  to  the  mother,  aux  meres,  to  the  mothers. 

Nom.  Vcime,  the  soul.  les  dmes,  the  souls. 

Gen.  de  fame,  of  the  soul.  des  dmes,  of  the  souls. 

Dat.    d  rdme,  to  the  soul.  aux  dmes,  to  the  souls. 

Note. — Vhomme,  masculine,  and  Vdme,  feminine  Nouns,  are 
declined  with  the  same  article  in  the  singular,  i.  e.,  with  apostrophe 
(') ;  it  is  as  before  stated,  the  Article  loses  its  own  vowel  before  the 
Noun's  vowel  or  silent  H.  Two  vowels  cannot  go  together  without 
offending  the  ear. 

Any  Noun  beginning  with  a  consonant,  or  H  aspirate, 
is  declined  ]i\.Qp^re  and  mere. 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View. 


II 


GENDERS. 

The  gender  of  French  Nouns  always  has  been  an  in- 
comprehensible affair,  and  thought  most  difficult  to  learn. 
Why  an  inanimate  object  should  be  classified  with  Man 
and  Woman  is  a  puzzle  to  most  students  ;  in  reality  there 
is  not  any  difficulty^  for  a  thoughtful,  steady  mind  is  the 
only  desideratum.  To  those  who  are  desirous  of  learning 
the  gender  of  a  Noun  whilst  reading  a  French  book  I 
would  say,  thoroughly  learn  and  clearly  understa?id  the 
Articles  and  Pronominal-Adjectives^  which  alone  can  decline 
Nouns.  In  this  example,  "  De  la  main,  a  la  bouche  se 
perd  souvent  la  soupe,"  from  the  hand  to  the  mouth, 
loses  itself  often  the  soup ;  there  are  three  cases  of  the 
feminine  Article,  de  la,  d  la,  la,  therefore  the  Nouns 
which  follow  zxQ  feminine.  "L'estomac  (m)  est  le  tom- 
beau  (m)  de  la  vie"  (f).  The  stomach  is  the  tomb  of  the 
life.  "  Quand  le  vin  (m)  entre,  la  raison  (f)  sort."  When 
the  wine  enters,  the  reason  goes  out.  Mon  chien  (m),  viy 
dog ;  sa  femme  (f ),  his  wife. 

In  correspondence  it  will  be  most  important,  because 
it  would  be  downright  stupid  to  write  him  for  her,  or  her 
for  him,  whether  in  English  or  French. 

Le  precepts  commence,  mais  /'exemple  acheve  :  7%^  precept  com- 
mences, but  the  example  completes. 

La  politesse  anglaise.     The  politeness  English. 

La  politesse  (f)  de  /'esprit  (m)  consiste  k  penser  et  ^  faire  des 
choses  honnetes  et  delicates.  The  politeness  of  the  mind  consists  to 
think  (in  thinking)  and  to  do  (in  doing)  of  things  honest  and  delicate. 


1 2  Drury's  French  Grammar 

GENDERS   BY    SIGNIFICATIONS   AND  TERMINATIONS. 

^  Genders  may  be  known  by  significations  and  termina- 
tions :  ^  every  Noun  which  designates  man  is  masculine, 
excepting  Altesse  {His  Highness)^  armee,  brigade,  cavalerie, 
estafette,  Excellence  {His  Excellency),  garde,  gendarmerie,  in- 
fanterie,  Majeste  {His  Majesty),  7nilice,  pairouille,  police, 
Saintete  {His  Holiness),  Seigneurie  {His  Lordship),  sentinelle, 
troupe,  vidette,  which  require  the  feminine  article ;  also  note 
that  the  vowel  E  terminates  each  one.  All  names  de- 
noting woman  are  "  feminine/'  excepting  Le  beau  sexe  {the 
fair  sex),  which  very  curiously  is  "  masculine,"  as  also  is  un 
jeune  tendron  {a  young  ^^  sprig  of  a  girl''),  and  a  few  other 
exceptions,  such  as  the  word  "author"  named  below. 
Animal  life  has  its  distinct  name  for  masculine  and  femi- 
nine, with  some  few  exceptions,  such  as  small  birds,  insects, 
and  fish ;  for  instance,  la  souris  (the  mouse)  takes  the 
feminine  article  (see  page  15  for  the  mascuHne  and  femi- 
nine exceptions) ;  but  le  souris  (the  smile),  is  masculine  ; 
echo  is  masculine  (but  Echo,  a  nymph,  is  feminine). 

GENDERS   BY   CLASSIFICATION. 

The  following  are  masculine :  Days  of  the  Week ; 
Months  of  Year ;  Names  of  Seasons  (Autumn  is  of  both) ; 
all  kinds  of  Metals;  Colours;  Trees  and  Shrubs,  with 
eight  exceptions;  Names  oi Decimals,  such  as  Metre,  Litre, 
Gramme,  &c.;  Cardinal  Points ;  Winds ;  Most  profes- 
sional names,  Author,  Fainter,  Frofessor,  Witness,  Sub- 
scriber, &c.,  &c. ;  although  these  words  may  represent 
women  yet  the  masculine  article  is  made  use  of;  as  : — 

Madame  de  Stael  est  un  auteur  celebre.  Madame  de  Stael  is  an 
author  celebrated.  Mme.  Walker  est  un  medecin  tres-connu.  Mrs. 
Walker  is  a  doctor  well  known. 

Again,  such  Nouns  as  may  be  derived  from  Adjectives 
and  Verbs  are  Masculine  :  le  bon,  the  good ;  le  blanc,  the 
white ;  le  dormir,  the  sleep ;  le  boire,  the  drink ;  these  are 
termed  Accidental  Nouns.  Numbers  are  masculine  when 
used  like  Nouns;  as,  the  sixth,  the  hundredth.  The  student 
will  perceive  clearly  that  these  classifications  absorb  a 
large  number  of  Nouns,  leaving  terminations  out  of  the 
question. 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View.  13 

GENDERS    BY   TERMINATION. 

Let  the  student  bear  in  mind  that  the  majority  of  mas- 
culine Nouns  terminate  with  a  Consonant,  whilst  those  of 
the  feminine  chiefly  end  with  the  letter  e ;  this  is  cha- 
racteristic of  the  French ;  but  out  of  25  letters  in  the 
Alphabet  there  are  eleven  which  denote  masculine  without 
exception,  say,  B,  c,  d,  g,  h,  k,  l,  p,  q,  y,  z  ;  there  are 
two,  J  and  v,  which  never  terminate  Nouns,  so  we  are 
reduced  to  12  letters,  and  out  of  these  there  are  eight, 
A,  I,  o,  u,  F,  M,  s,  T,  which  are  masadine,  with  fifty  four 
exceptions  only  (see  below).  We  have  now  only  4 
letters,  e,  n,  r,  x,  and  will  take  first  the  letter  x,  which  is 
masculine,  but  there  are  9  feminine  exceptions  (see  below). 
The  letter  r,  is  masculine,  excepting  7  named  below,  and 
69  others  ending  in  eur,  as  lafleur,  the  flower ;  la  douleur, 
the  grief,  &c.  n  is  masculine,  excepting  7  (named  below) 
and  1,200  endings  in  ion,  as,  la  nation,  and  41  in  son 
preceded  by  a  vowel,  as  la  maison,  the  house ;  thus  one 
single  letter,  e,  appears  to  be  the  problem  to  solve,  and 
through  which  so  much  difficulty  has  been  thrown  into 
French  Genders. 

Feminine  exceptions.  A,  aqua-tinta,  camarilla,  diva,  fantasia, 
guerilla,  mazurka,  polka,  prima-donna,  razia,  redowa,  sepia,  varso- 
viana,  smala,  tombola,  villa,  veranda,  i,  apres-midi,  foi,  fourmi, 
houri,  loi,  merci,  paroi.  O,  Echo  (a  nymph),  sapho,  virago.  U,  eau, 
bru,  glu,  peau,  tribu,  vertu.  F,  clef,  esquif,  nef,  soif.  M,  faim.  S, 
brebis,  fois,  iris,  oasis,  souris  (mouse),  vepres,  vis.  T,  dent,  dot, 
foret,  gent  (tube),  hart,  jument,  nuit,  part,  plupart,  quote-part.  N, 
fa9on,  fin,  fanchon,  le9on,  main,  nomain,  rangon,  1,200  in  ion  and 
41  in  son,  x,  chaux,  croix,  faux,  noix,  paix,  perdrix,  poix,  toux, 
voix.  R,  chair,  cour,  fleur,  mer,  soeur,  tour,  cuiller,  and  69  abstract 
nouns,  ending  in  eur. 

Feminine  trees  are,  aubepine,  bourdaine,  ebene,  epine,  ronce, 
viorne,  vigne,  yeuse. 

Take  away  from  the  letter  e  such  Nouns  as  are  of  the 
two  genders — say,  un  page,  a  boy  page ;  une  page  (of  a 
book);  and  those  which  I  have  before  named  as  being 
classified :  homme,  man ;  dne,  he  ass ;  aune,  alder-tree,  &c., 
therefore  those  which  we  shall  have  remaining  cannot  be 
so  very  difficult  to  remember  or  find  out ;  custom  or  the 
dictionary,  of  course,  will  settle  those  points,  with  a  full  de- 


14  Drtirfs  French  Grammar 

termination  to  master  them.  The  e,  accented  (when  not 
preceded  by  the  letter  /)  as  in  cafe^  is  mascuUne,  with  four 
feminine  exceptions  only — viz.,  amiiie,  inimitie,  moitie^ 
pitie ;  but  all  nouns  ending  with  te  are  feminine,  with  the 
fifteen  following  exceptions :  arrele,  aparte,  bmedicite^ 
comte,  comite,  cote,  depute,  doigte,  ecarte,  ete,  Jete,  pate,  pr'e- 
cipite,  trait e,  veloute.  There  are  2,000  or  more  nouns 
ending  with  e  mute  which  are  masculine;  but  they  are 
mostly  classified,  and  the  following  e  mute  endings  are 
masculine  (with  but  few  exceptions),  as,  abe,  age,  asme,  aphe, 
aire,  amme,  aume,  ane,  eme,  erme,  etre.  He,  isme,  iste,  ogue, 
oire,  ore.  There  are  also  fifty-six  masculine  nouns  ending 
with  Hie. 

The  best  plan  will  be  for  the  student  to  regard  every 
letter  in  the  alphabet,  exceptifig  e,  n,  r,  as  of  the  masculine 
gender ;  then  to  consider  whether  any  of  them  are  amongst 
those  very  few  feminine  exceptions  named,  or  oiihQ  femi- 
nine gender  as  regards  animal  life. 

Feminine  Nouns  are  known  mostly  by  their  termi- 
nations. E  mute  speaks  for  some  6,000  feiiiinine  nouns, 
whilst  te  shows  more  than  500,  as  la  bonte  ;  thus  the  letter 
e  must  be  taken  as  the  first  sign  of  the  fejninine  ge7ider ; 
yet,  by  reason  of  there  being  so  large  a  number  as  2,000 
or  more  masculine  e  mute  endings,  the  question  must  be 
asked,  Will  it  classify  or  not  ?  Because  aune  (alder-tree) 
ends  with  e,  it  does  not  follow  that  it  is  feminine.  No ;  it 
will  classify  with  trees,  therefore  it  is  a  masculine  noun ; 
there  is  another  aune  (a  measure),  which  is  femi?iine. 
There  are  only  seven  feminine  endings  in  age,  as,  am- 
bages, cage,  image,  page,  plage,  rage,  saxifrage. 

The  oxAy  feminine  consonants  of  importance  are  n  and 
R.  Almost  all  nouns  ending  with  ion  and  son  are 
feininine,  as,  la  maison,  the  house ;  la  nation,  the  nation. 
So  are  abstract  Nouns  ending  in  Eur,  as,  valeur,  douceur, 
ferveur,  &c.,  excepting  bonheur,  heur,  honneur,  labeur, 
malheur,  which  are  masculine. 

Etre  adonne  a  la  boisson.     To  be  addicted  to  the  drink. 

There  are  some  which  represent  at  once  the  male  and  female, 
of  which  the  following  always  require  the  masculine  article  : — 
Badger,   beaver,  beetle,    blackbird,  buffalo,  bullfinch,   butterfly,  calf. 


in  an  A  musing  Point  of  View.  1 5 

camel,  chaffinch,  cockchafer,  crocodile,  cuckoo,  drone,  elephant,  ferret, 
gadfly,  gnat,  goldfinch,  haddock,  heathcock,  hedgehog,  heron,  herring, 
hornet,  jay,  kid,  lamb,  leopard,  lizard,  lobster,  louse,  mackerel,  night- 
ingale, parrot,  pelican,  pigeon,  pike,  plover,  raven,  rat,  redbreast, 
reindeer,  rhinoceros,  roach,  sahjioji,  serpent,  shark,  sheep,  silkworm, 
svielt,  snail,  sparrow,  sparro^v-hawk,  squirrel,  sturgeon,  S7uan,  toad, 
turbot,  turkey,  vulture,  whiting,  worm,  wren,  you?ig  partridge. 

The  following  take  the  feminine  article  as  for  both  genders,  viz.  : 
ant,  bat,  bee,  bleak,  bug,  caterpillar,  cod,  croiu,  crayfish,  eel,  flea, 
frog,  fly,  goose,  giraffe,  guinea- faiol,  grasshopper,  hyena,  landrail, 
lark,  leech,  linnet,  magpie,  mole,  moth,  mouse,  mussel,  opossum, 
ostrich,  owl,  oyster,  panther,  pole-cat,  perch,  quail,  sardine,  shad, 
shrimp,  sole,  spidei;  stork,  swallow,  snipe,  skate,  snake,  tettch,  tom-tit, 
thrushf  turtle-dovCy  turtle,  trout,  viper,  water-fowl,  wasp,  7vhalc, 
woodcock,  weasel. 

The  preceding  remarks,  I  am  inclined  to  think,  will 
have  made  my  theory  of  the  genders  pretty  clear  and  easy ; 
the  practice  remains  with  the  student  himself,  who,  whilst 
walking  the  streets,  should  try  to  connect  different  nouns 
and  their  proper  articles  together.  By  such  means  he  will 
become  accustomed  to  do  so  with  most  objects  as  they 
come  before  him;  it  will  keep  his  "mind  active,  from 
mischief  free." 

There  is  a  capital  work  on  French  genders,  published  by  Relfe 
Brothers,  called  "The  Philological  French  Primer;"  it  is  cheap 
and  useful.  There  is  another  published  by  AUman,  price  dd.,  which, 
for  originality,  beats  all  and  everj'thing  I  have  ever  seen  ;  it  is  by 
Professor  Fairchild. 

There  are  quite  a 
number  of  nouns 
spelt  the  same,  but 
with  different  mean- 
ings.    We  have  the  ^  ^_ 

same  thing  in  Eng-  ^  f^T^V'S     f  wtT  PA^H. 
lish  :  take  the  word    l^\y^  I  V  i^^t^:^     ^        ^ 
"  muff,"  for  instance. 
Aide  (m)  a  person 
who  assists,  aide  (f) 
assistance ;  livre  (m) 
book,  and  livre  (f)  a 
weight:  and  so  on.     Nothing  but  custom  and  the  dic- 
tionary can  settle  such  points.     Lc  page  des  dames.,  the 


i6 


Dntrys  French  Grammar 


page  of  the  ladies,  or  Cupid's  footman,  is  masatline,  but 
\hQpage  of  a  book  \%  feminme  {la  page). 

Le  mode,  the  mood  ;  la  mode,  the  fashion  ;  /^barbe,  the 
barb  (Arab  horse)  ;  la  barbe,  the  beard. 

Curious  distinctions :  amour,  love,  is 
masculine,  both  singular  and  plural,  in  a 
parental  sense,  love  of  riches  and  the 
world.  In  the  idea  of  "  love  of  one  sex 
for  another,"  it  is  fnasadine  in  the  singular 
and  fetninine  in  the  plural,  as,  tifi  violent 
amour,  a  violent  love ;  de  follei-  amours, 
mad  loves.  Delice  and  orgue  follow  the 
same  rule. 

Couple,  in  the  sense  of  two  eggs  or  a  pair 
of  fowls  is  feminine ;  but  as  a  couple  of 
lovers  or  two  friends  it  is  masculine  :  tme  couple  de  poulets, 
a  couple  of  fowls ;  un  heureux  couple  d'amants,  a  happy 
couple  of  lovers ;  im  couple  fidele,  a  couple  faithful ;  un 
couple  de  fripons^  a  couple  of  rogues;  enfa7it,  child,  is 
masculine  for  a  boy,  feminine  for  a  girl ;  in  the  plural  it 
is  masculine  only,  whether  boys  or  girls ;  as,  tons  mes  en- 
fants,  all  my  children. 


La  jalousie  nalt  toujours  avec 
/'amour,  mais  elle  ne  meurt  pas 
toujours  avec  lui. 

(The)  jealousy  is  born  always 
with  (the)  love,  but  she  (jeal- 
ousy) dies  not  always  with  him 
(love). 

L'amour  (m)  apres  la  colere 
est  plus  agreable.  (The)  love 
after  anger  is  more  agreeable. 

The  couple  herewith  depicted, 
are  by  nature  masculine  and  fe- 
minine ;  but  by  rule  both  are 
masculine. 


PLURAL    OF    NOUNS. 

The  Plural  of  Nouns  is  very  easy  to  remember  when 
it  is  once  properly  understood,  following  one  rule  or  an- 
other with  but  few  exceptions.  The  general  rule  is  that 
of  adding  s  to  the  singular  of  both  masculine  and  femi- 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View.  17 

nine ;  as,  le  pere,  les  pere^,  the  fathers;  la  mere,  les  mere^, 
the  mothers ;  une  jambe,  des  jambej,  legj;  une  femme,  des 
femmej,  wom^n. 

The  Article,  of  course,  must  always  agree  with  the  Noup. 


Other  rules,  with  their  excep- 
tions, are  as  follows : — for  instance; 
a  birch-rod  rarely  agrees  with  a  ju- 
venile delinquent — however  much 
it  may  be  merited  or  deserved. 

Rule  I.  Those  ending  with  s, 
X,  z  remain  so  in  the  plural,  as,  le 
bas,  les  bos,  stockings  ;  la  voix,  les 
voix^  the  voices;  le  nez,  les  ncz^ 
the  nose;-,  &c. 


2nd.  Those  terminating  in  au  and  eu  take  .r,  as,  le 
tableau,  les  tableaux^  the  pictures ;  le  cheveu,  les  cheveux^ 
the  hairj,  &c.     Exception — landau  makes  landaus. 

3rd.  Those  endings  in  ou,  as  clou,  clous,  naik,  follow  the 
general  rule,  excepting  the  seven  herewith,  which  take  x : 
bijou,  X,  jewels ;  caillou,  x,  pebblej";  genou,  x,  kneej;  c/ioux, 
cabbages ;  hiboux^  owb ;  joujoux^  X.oys ;  poux,  lice. 

4th.  Al  makes  aux,  as,  cheval,  chevaux,  horses,  &c., 
excepting  these  following,  which  take  s  :  aval,  avals  ;  bal, 
bals ;  cal,  cals ;  cantal,  cantals ;  chacal,  s;  camaval,  s ; 
nopal,  s;  pal,  s ;  regal,  s ;  serval,  s. 

5th.  Ail  takes  s — gouvernails,  rudderj,  &c.  Excep- 
tions are,  bail,  bauxy  leasee ;  corail,  coraux,  corak ;  ^mail, 
emauxj  enameLf ;  soupirail,  soupiraux^  ventholei" ;  travail, 
travauXj  work?;  ventail,  ventaux,  folding-doorj ;  vitrail, 
vitraux,  window-glass^j. 

6th.  Travail  has  two  plurals — ist,  travails,  referring  to 
the  reports  of  the  works  of  the  head  of  a  governnrent  de- 
partment, also  a  kind  of  machine  in  which  restive  horses 
are  placed  whilst  being   shod;    2nd,  iravaux  {works) y 

B 


1 8  Dricrys  French  Grammar 

relating  to  general  everyday  work,  as,  Nos  grands  travaux 
deviennent  doux  quands  ils  sont  recompenses.  Our  hard 
works  become  sweet  when  they  are  remunerated. 

yth.  Betail\  cattle,  has  no  regular  plural,  but  Bestiaux 
is  used. 

8th.  Ail,  garlic,  makes  ails  or  aulx,  but  the  latter  is 
most  frequently  used. 

Ciel,  ml,  a'ieul,  have  two  plurals.  Ciel  makes  ciels  when 
it  is  the  top  of  a  bedstead  (tester),  roof  of  houses,  in 
pictures,  or  geographically ;  as,  L'ltalie  est  sous  un  des 
plus  beaux  ciels  de  1' Europe.  (The)  Italy  is  under  one  of 
the  finest  skies  of  Europe.  In  scriptural  sense  it  writes 
cieux  :  les  deux  annoncent  la  gloire  de  Dieu,  the  heavens 
announce  the  glory  of  God ;  la  rosee  du  del,  the  dew  of 
heaven. 

(Eil  makes  ceils  in  oeils-de-boeuf,  bulls'-eyes  (glass),  les 
oeils-de-chat,  cats'-eyes  (precious  stone) ;  in  other  cases  it 
makes  y eux,  as,  les  yeux  noirs,  the  eyes  black  \  les  yeux 
vifs,  the  eyes  sharp ;  les  yeux  baisses,  the  eyes  downcast ; 
also  for  the  air-holes  in  bread,  cheese,  3.nd /aUy  bubbles  in 
soup ;  les  yeux  du  pain,  the  eyes  of  the  bread ;  les  yeux  du 
fromage,  et  les  yeux  du  bouillon,  of  the  cheese  and  of  the 
soup.  The  French  illustrate  the  eyes  of  the  cheese ;  but 
they  do  not  illustrate  the  eyes  of  the  maggot  in  the  cheese, 
which  would  be  a  curiosity  to  look  at. 

C'est  9a  qui  doit  etre  precieux,  un  re- 
gard comme  9a,  faire  les  doux  yeux  a 
quelqu'un.  It  is  that  which  must  be 
precious,  a  regard  like  that,  to  make  the 
sweet  (or  loving  glances)  eyes  to  any 
one. 

II  a  les  yeux  plus  grands  que  le 
ventre.  He  has  {iAe)  eyes  bigger  than 
the  stomach  {the  is  used  instead  of  his, 
her,  or  my,  when  speaking  of  portions  of 
the  body  and  where  the  person  is  clearly 
defined). 

//  a  mal  a  la  tete.  He  has  bad  at  the 
head,  and  not  sa  tete  (his  head) ;  but 
otherwise,  Sa  tete  lui  fait  mal.  His 
head  him  makes  hurt. 

Aieul  makes  ai'euls  when  referring  to  great-grandfather 


in  an  Amnsing  Point  of  View.  19 

or  great-grandmother  on  the  father  or  mother's  side,  and 
aieux  for  ancestors. 

The  French  do  not  seem  to  have  settled  the  question  of  eyes  ;  some 
grammarians  insist  that  yeux  refer  only  to  the  organ  of  sight,  there- 
fore all  other  eyes  should  be  odls  ;  this  would  be  easier  for  students, 
no  doubt,  but  I  have  followed  Messrs.  Noel  and  Chapsal.  After 
all,  these  words,  excepting  \h&  human  organ,  are  mere  "idiomatic 
words." 

"Changer  son  cheval  borgne  pour  un  aveugle."  To 
change  his  horse  one-eyed  for  one  blind,  means  changing 
for  the  worst. 

"  Brider  son  cheval  par  la  queue."  "  Bridle  his  horse 
by  the  tail,"  means  beginning  where  one  should  end. 
*'  Monter  sur  ses  grands  cheiiatix."  '*  Mount  on  his  big 
horses,''  means  "  fly  into  a  passion,"  or  trying  "  to  get  the 
upper  hand,"  see  the  "Times"  newspaper,  May  9th, 
1878:  "We  turn  to  Hawarden,  and  we  hear  of  nothing 
but  language  full  of  fire  and  fury ;  the  language  in  which 
he  indulges  in  is  derived  from  a  political  vocabulary 
which  has  been  of  late  years  extinct." 

"  Chaque  chei^eu  fait  son  ombre."  "  Each  hair  makes 
its  own  shadow,"  said  of  men  of  small  stature  who  strut 
about  like  bantam  cocks,  talking  big  talk  and  imagining  they 
are  working  hard.  Une  belle  chevelure, 
a  fine  head  of  hair.  La  chevelure  k 
la  mode  de  1852,  the  head-dress  to  the 
fashion  of  1852. 

Cheneux,  boucles^  chevelure,  each  refer  to 
the  human  hair,  male  or  female.  Pas 
de  cheueux,  no  hair  (or  hairs).  "  On  tire 
plus  de  choses  avec  un  c/ieveu  de  femme 
qu'avec  six  chevaux  bien  vigoureux" — "  One  draws  more 
of  things  with  a  hair  of  woman  than  with  six  horses  very 
strong,"  meaning  that  woman's  aid  is  of  great  assistance 
at  times;  they  have  the  means  of  fascination  which  is 
denied  to  the  poor  man,  hence  the  saying,  "  Un  cheveu 
de  ce  qu'on  aime  tire  plus  que  quatre  boeufs  " — '"'A  hair  of 
that  (her)  which  one  loves  draws  more  than  four  bullocks." 
Ckeveux  postiches,  false  hairs  (or  hair). 


20 


Drurfs  French  Grammar 


Le/>oi7d}i  cheval,  the  ^a/r  of  the  horse  ;  poil\>^xpoil, 
hair  by  hair.  l^Qspotls  du  menton  et  des  levres  forment 
la  barbe— The  hairs  of  the  chin  and  lips  form  the  beard. 
(Formerly,  moustache  (f)  meant  whisker,  and  was  applied 
as  a  "slang  word  "  to  a  well-whiskered  and  bearded  man, 
as  "  old  moustache  "),  vieille  moustache,  old  soldier. 

Le  barbe  (arab  horse)  is  masculine ; 
la  barbe  (the  beard)  is  feminine.  Les 
favoris,  the  whiskers ;  ducks  of  whis- 
kers, or  the  favourites  of  the  ladies, 
also  is  masculine,  taking  its  name  from 
favori,  a  favourite.  Barbes  also  means 
whiskers  of  the  cat,  feathers  of  a  quill. 

Until  the  year  1856  neither  beards  nor 
moustaches  were  worn  in  England,  except  by 
cavalry  regiments.  Any  civilian  or  foreigner 
wearing  such  was  looked  upon  with  sus- 
picion, and  called  after  in  the  streets  by  naughty  boys.  After  the 
Crimean  war  the  foot  regiments  were  also  permitted  to  grow  the 
moustache,  although  they  were  forced  to  shave  off  the  beard  grown 
during  the  war.  The  Court  of  Directors  of  the  Bank  of  England 
also  issued  a  notice  to  the  effect  that,  "their  clerks  should  refrain 
from  wearing  the  moustache  during  Business  Hours.''^ 

Mem. — Should  the  student  ever  visit  France  let  him  bear  in  mind 
the  difference  between  cheveux,  hair,  and  chevaux,  horses,  or  it 
might  cause  a  slight  confusion  in  a  barber's  shop.  Their  signboard 
generally  says  :  "/a  Pon  coupe  les  cheveux.^'' 


Jamais  grand  nez  n'a  gate  beau  visage 
(not)  has  spoilt  fine  face  (or,  dis- 
figured a  fine  countenance).  Rien 
n'est  beau  comme  un  nez  romain; 
nothing  is  fine  (so  fine)  as  a  nose 
Roman.  Ceux  qui  manquent  de 
7iez  ne  peuvent  etre  elus  aux  dignites 
raonastiques ;  those  who  fail  oi  noses 
(without  a  nose)  cannot  (to)  be 
elected  to  the  appointments  mo- 
nastic (one  of  the  Papal  laws,  hence 
the  proverb),  "  II  faut  avoir  du  nez 
pour  etre  pape ; "  it  is  necessary  to 


-Never  big  nose 


ill  an  A  musing  Point  of  Vieiu.  2 1 

have  of  nose  for  to  be  Pope  (no  one  without  a  nose  can 
be  elected  Pope). 

There  cannot  be  any  doubt  as  to  the  beauty  of  the  Roman  nose, 
which  after  all  must  be  the  Israelitish  one  ;  for  the  wise  Solomon 
(who  spake  500  years  before  Rome  was  founded  or  thought  of)  has 
compared  its  beauty  in  his  Song  of  Songs,  "  to  the  Tower  of 
Lebanon,  which  looketh  towards  Damascus. " 

Mettre  son  nez  dans  les  affaires  des  autres.  To  thrust  his  nose  into 
the  affairs  of  others.  II  a  le  nez  rouge.  He  has  the  nose  red.  Nez 
^  nez,  nose  to  nose,  means  **  face  to  face  "  idiomatically. 

Quantity  is  shown  by  what  are  termed  collective 
Nouns,  expressing  totality,  or  partiality;  le  petcple,  the 
people ;  la  foule,  the  crowd,  illustrate  the  former  as  a 
whole,  in  which  case  the  Noun  is  preceded  by  le,  la,  les, 
ce,  cette,  mon,  &c.,  with  a  Verb  in  the  singular ;  the  latter 
expresses  only  a  portion  of  the  whole,  as  une  foule,  a  crowd, 
une  quantite,  preceded  by  un  or  une  with  a  Verb  in  the 
singular  or  the  plural,  according  to  the  predominating 
word's  requirement. 

La  troupe  de  soldats  fut  vaincue — TTie  troop  of  soldiers  was  con- 
quered. Une  troupe  de  nymphes  nageaieni  en  foule  derriere  le  char  ; 
a  troop  of  nymphs  {they)  swam  in  crowd  behind  the  car.  The  reason 
is,  that  the  troop  was  conquered  (not  the  soldiers) ;  and  the  nymphs 
they  swam,  not  a  troop  nor  crowd. 

La  famille  est  partie.    The  family  is  gone.  * 

Compound  Nouns  are  two  words.  Noun  and  Noun,  or 
Noun  and  Adjective:  the  plural  is  shown  in  both;  as,  un 
chou-fleur,  des  choux-fleurs,  cauliflower,  s ;  but  when  a  Pre- 
position goes  between,  the  former  only  takes  the  plural ; 
as,  une  pomme  de  terre,  des  pomnies  de  terre  (apples  of 
the  earth),  potatoes ;  un  chef-d'oeuvre,  des  ^y^<^-d'ceuvre, 
masterpiece,  s. 

Accents  will  alter  the  meaning  of  Nouns,  or  will  dis- 
tinguish Nouns  from  words  which  are  otherwise  the  same: 
tache,  work ;  tache,  spot  of  dirt ;  pecher,  to  sin ;  pecher,  to 
fish;  mur,  ripe,  mur,  a  wall;  repondre,  to  reply;  re- 
pondre,  to  lay  again ;  de,  thimble ;  de,  of ;  Id.,  there ;  la, 
the ;  i,  to ;  At,  has ;  stir,  certain ;  sur,  on ;  oil,  where ; 
oUf  or. 


22  Drurfs  French  Grammar 

PeCHANT  pour  la  Q,^JlS11%  fishing  for  {the)  charity. 


Les  pScheurs  pechent  contre  la  loi  en  pechant  dans  des  eaux 
privees. 

The  fishers  sin  against  the  law  in  fishing  in  (some)  waters  private. 


ADJECTIVES. 

An  Adjective  gives  expression  to  or  modifies  a  Noun ; 
as,  good  describes  the  Avife,  or  blue  the  sky.  It  has  not 
any  gender  of  its  own,  but  it  agrees  in  gender  and  number 
with  the  Nouns  it  refers  to ;  as,  le  bon  pere,  the  ^(?(?^ father; 
la  bonne  mbre,  the  good  mother ;  les  bons  peres,  the  good 
fathers;  les  bonnes  meres,  the  good moXher^. 

French  Adjectives  differ  from  the  English  in  that  they 
more  frequently  follow  than  precede  their  Nouns.  Those 
which  do  precede  are  few  in  number,  chiefly  words  of 
one  syllable,  but  they  are  the  most  frequent  in  use ;  such 
are  (masculine),  bon,  good;  beatt,  fine;  mauvats,  hdidi] gros, 
h\g;jeune,  youDg; foil,  pretty;  mechant,  wicked;  meilleur, 
better ;  feill,  little;  vleux,  old;  also  ^// numerals.  There 
are  some  which  may  either  precede  or  follow,  in  such 
cases  their  significations  differ;  as,  un  brave  homme,  an 
upright  man;  un  homme  brave,  a  man  courageous ;  un 
honnete  homme,  an  hmiest  or  good  man ;  un  homme  hon- 
nete,  a  man  polite;  un  pauvre  homme,  a  poor  (spirited) 
man,  or  of  mean  capacity ;  un  homme  pauvre,  a  man  poor 
(in  fortune) ;  un  grand  homme,  b.  great  man  ;  un  homme 
grand,  a  man  tall;  le  galant  homme,  the  honourable  man  ; 
un  homme  galanty  a  man  courteous ;  une  femme  galante^ 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View,  23 

a  woman  coquette ;  un  cher  pere,  a  dear  father ;  un  livre 
cher,  a  book  dear  (costly) ;  une  belle  femme,  a  beautiful  or 
fine  woman. 

La  plupart  des  honnetes  femmes  sont  des  tresors.  The  greater 
part  of  good  women  are  (some)  treasures. 

Un  homme  riche  n'est  jamais  vieux  ou  laid  aux  yeux  d'une  jeune 
fille.     A  man  rich  is  never  old  or  xigly  to  the  eyes  of  a  maid. 

Un  honnke  homme  peut  etre  anioureux  comme  un  fou,  mais  pas 
comme  un  sot.  An  honesty  or  good^  man  may  be  loring  as  a  fool, 
but  not  as  a  silly  or  stupid. 

Une  vieille  jeune  fille,  an  old  young  girl,  means  "an  old  maid." 
Un  vieux  gar^on,  an  old  boy,  bachelor. 

Numerals  always  precede  their  nouns ;  as,  le  quatrttme 
jour,  \ht  fourth  day. 


Signboard  of  a  restaurant  in  France :  "  Aux  quatre 
chiens,  oil  Ton  boit  et  mange  bien."  At  ihQ  four  dogs, 
where  people  drink  and  eat  well. 

There  is  another  curious  signboard  to  a  cabaret  in 
France.  The  words  are  "Aux  trois  lapins,"  '^ At  the 
three  rabbits,"  and  indeed  there  are  3  of  them,  each  of 
which  has  2  ears,  yet  amongst  the  3  rabbits  there  are 
only  3  ears — decipher  it  who  can? 

When  Adjectives  do  precede,  they  usually  go  between 
the  Article  and  Noun.  Exceptions — tout  le  monde,  all 
the  world  (or  everybody);  tout  le  pain,  all  the  bread; 
tons  les  enfants,  all  the  children ;  toutes  les  femmes,  all  the 
women. 

Tout  (all)  is  sometimes  Adjective  and  sometimes  Ad- 
verb. As  Adjective  it  implies  totality ^  but  it  may  precede 
an  Adjective,  Participle,  or  Adverb,  in  which  sense  it  will 
be  Adverb  ;  as,  tout  jolie  qu'elle  est,  all  pretty  as  she  is ; 
excepting  when  it  precedes  H  aspirated,  then  it  takes  the 


24 


Drury's  French  Grammar 


feminine,  as  toicte  hardie.     Tout,  Adjective,  masculine, 
singular,  makes  tous,  plural,  and  toutes,  feminine  plural. 

La  folie  nous  suit  dans  tons  les  temps  de  la  vie — (The) 
folly  us  follows  in  all  the  periods  of  (the)  life.  L'esperance, 
toute  trompeuse  qu'elle  est,  reconforte  I'homme — (The) 
hope,  all  deceitful  that  she  is,  comforts  (the)  man.  A  ventre 
affame  tout  est  bon — To  the  stomach  hungry  all  is  good. 
Une  clef  d'or  ouvre  toiites  sortes  de  serrures — A  key  of  gold 
opens  all  sorts  of  locks.  En  mariage  la  langue  forme  un 
noeud  que  toictes  les  dents  de  la  bouche  ne  peuvent  defaire 
dans  la  suite — "  In  marriage,  the  tongue  forms  a  knot 
which  all  the  teeth  of  the  mouth  cannot  undo  in  the 
follo\\ing  "  (or  afterwards). 

GENDERS   OF  ADJECTIVES. 

In  Gender,  Adjectives  must  agree  with  the  Nouns  which 
they  modify ;  there  is  not  any  difficulty :  every  feminine 
Adjective  ends  with  an  e  mute ;  therefore,  ikvQ  first  and 
general  rule  is  the  adding  e  mute  to  the  masculine,  as, grand, 
grande,  great ;  joli,  jolie,  pretty.  When  an  Adjective  al- 
ready terminates  in  e  mute,  masculine,  it  does  not  change 
in  the  feminine ;  as,  brave,  brave ;  sage,  wise ;  jeune, 
young ;  aimable,  fidele,  &c.,  which  are  the  same  for  both 
genders ;  as,  un  jeune  homme,  a  young  man  \  une  jeune 
femme,  a  young  woman. 

La  jeune  fille 
qui  se  marie 
pour  avoir  de 
i'argent.  The 
young  lady 
who  herself 
marries  for  to 
have  some 
money. 
Leymw^  hom- 
me qui  se  ma- 
rie pour  de 
I'argent.  The 
youngvci'a.Xi^\\o 
himself  marries 
for  money. 


MY  WIFE,    SIR. 


Un  homme  et  une  femme  aimable. 


MY   HUSBAND,    SIR. 

A  man  and  a  woman  amiable. 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View.  25 

2nd.  For  Adjectives  which  terminate  in  er^  masculine, 
a  grave  accent  (')  is  placed  over  the  e  before  the  r  when 
adding  the  e  mute  {iox  feminine) ;  as,  attierj  altiere,  haughty ; 
fer,  fi^re,  proud. 

3rd.  Those  ending  in  gt^,  a  trdma  (diaeresis,  **  )  is  put 
over  the  e  feminine ;  as,  aigu,  aigue^  acute ;  ambigu,  am- 
bigiie^  ambiguous. 

4th.  The  endings  in  ely  eil,  en,  on,  et,  masculine,  have 
their  final  consonants  doubled  before  adding  e  mute ;  as, 
cruel,  cruelle  ;  bon,  bonne  ;  pareil,  pareille ;  net,  nette ; 
muet,  muette  ;  ancien,  ancienne.  The  six  following,  ter- 
minating with  et,  and  in  their  compounds,  are  in  the 
present  day  used  with  a  grave  accent  on  the  e  which  pre- 
cedes the  t,  in  place  of  doubling  the  final  consonant,  as, 
complet,  compU/^;  concret,  concrete;  discrete  discr*^/^;  in- 
quiet,  inqui^/^;  replet,  repl<?/^;  sea-et,  secrete. 

5th.  The  masculines  bas,  low;  be/tot,  pretty;  epais, 
thick ;  exprh,  express ;  gentil^  genteel ;  gras,  fat ;  gros^ 
big;  las,  weary  ;  mil,  none;  profh,  professed;  sot,  silly; 
vieillot,  oldish,  also  double  their  last  consonant ;  as,  basj-^, 
bellot/^,  epaisj^,  expres^^,  gentil/^,  grasj^,  gros^^,  \z&se,  nul/<?, 
profesj^,  %o\.te,  vieillot/^. 

6th.  Beau,  fine ;  fou,  foolish ;  nouveau,  new ;  mott,  soft ; 
vieux,  old,  make  bel/<?,  ioMe,  nouvel/<?,  xnoMe,  vieil/^,  be- 
cause in  the  masculine  before  a  vowel  or  H  mute  they 
write  bel,  fol,  nouvel,  mol,  vieil.  Jumeau,  twin,  makes 
jume//i?. 

7  th.  Those  terminations  in  /  change  into  ve :  bref 
hx\.ve,  brief;  naif,  naive,  artless. 

8th.  Endings  in  x  change  to  se  ;  as,  honteux,  honteuj^, 
shameful ;  jaloux,  jalouj^,  jealous ;  amoureux,  amoureuj^, 
loving;  curieux,  curieu^^,  curious. 

9th.  Eur  or  teur,  which  come,  ist,  from  a  participle 
present,  make  their  feminine  in  euse ;  as,  trof?ipeur, 
trompeuj^,  deceitful ;  menteur,  menteuj-^,  cheating,  lying. 
Exceptions :  executeur,  inventeur,  persecuteur,  make  ex^cu- 
trice,  inventr/r^,  pers^cutr/^^ ;  pecheur  makes  "^ich^resse ; 
enchanteur,tnc\\3.n\.eresse ;  z'engeur,w&ngtresse.  2nd.  Teur, 
which  do  not  derive  regularly  from  participles  pre- 
sent,   make    their   feminine  in   trice ;    as,   accusateur, 


26 


Drury's  French  Grammar 


accusatr/V^ ;  delatetir,  delsitrice,  informer ;  conducteur,  con- 
ductr/r^. 

loth.  Meiiieur,  better;  majeicr^  major;  mineur^  minor, 
and  those  which  end  in  erieur^  masculine,  accord  with  the 
general  rule  by  taking  e  mute;  as,  meilleur<?;  majeure, 
mineur^,  superieur^,  &c. 

nth.  Chdtain,  nut-brown ;  dispos,  nimble  ;  fat^  foppish, 
have  not  any  feminine. 

1 2th.  The  Adjectives,  blanc^  white;  bentn,  benign; 
caduc,  decrepit ;  cot,  quiet ;  franc,  sincere  ;  frats,  fresh  ; 
favorij  favourite;  grec,  Grecian;  long,  long;  7?ialin,  ma- 
licious ;  piMic,  public ;  sec,  dry;  tiers,  \^\\xA;turc,  Turkish, 
make  in  the  feminine,  blanche,  benigne,  caduque,  coite, 
franche,  fraiche,  favorite,  grecqiie,  longue,  nialigne,  publique, 
''seche,  tierce,  tier  que. 

Doiix,  sweet,  makes  douce ;  faux,  false,  xi^2ik^%  fausse. 

These  exceptions  may  appear  numerous  and  difficult, 
but  such  is  not  the  case :  I  have  arranged  them  so  that 
there  shall  always  be  ready  reference  when  doubt  exists. 


LE   BILLET  DOUX. 


Le  billet  doux.  The  letter  sweet,  or  love 
letter. 

II  n'y  a  que  les  personnes  qui  ont  de  la 
fermete  qui  puissent  avoir  une  veritable 
douceur  ;  celles  qui  paraissent  douces  n'ont 
d'ordinaire  que  de  la  faiblesse,  qui  se  con- 
vertit  aisement  en  aigreur. 

There  are  only  (the)  people  who  (they) 
have  (of  the)  firmness,  who  (they)  are  able  to 
have  a  veritable  sweetness  ;  those  who  (they) 
appear  sweet  (only)  have  ordinarily  (of) weak- 
ness, which  itself  changes  easily  to  sourness. 

Un  homme  ciirieux.  A  man  inquisitive. 
Une  femme  ciirieuse.    A  woman  ittquisitive. 

Curieuj-^comme  une  portiere.  Curious  like 
a  (porter's  wife,  or)  landlady. 


When  an  Adjective  qualifies  several  Nouns  or  Pronouns 
of  different  genders,  it  is  placed  in  the  plural  masculine ; 
as,  Le  mari  et  sa  femme  sont  ignorants,  the  husband  and 
his  wife  are  ignorant. 

When  two  or  more  Adjectives  refer  to  the  one  Noun 


m  an  Amusing  Point  of  View.  27 

they  usually  follow,  and  with  a  conjunction ;    as,  une 
itmme  Joiie  et  coquette,  a  woman  pretty  and  coquettish. 

An  Adjective  preceded  by  11  est,  //  is,  requires  the 
Preposition  de  after  it ;  as,  //  est  doux  de  mourir  pour  sa 
patrie,  //  is  sweet  for  to  die  for  his  country.  (This  idea 
is  purely  French  :  the  author  thinks  it  is  very  kind  indeed 
for  the  living  friends  to  say  so,  but  ~ 

very  much  doubts  whether  the  de-       /(f^T)   0 
parted   one   thought  so,  unless   ^^  ^^^^^^A>)\[ 
was   tired  of  his   life;   he   thinks  ^^^^ -^-^ ■  ^ 
qu'il  est  bien  plus  doux  de  suivre 
I'exemple  de  nos  deux  amis,  that  it 
is  much  more  sweet  for  to  follow 
the  example  of  our  two  friends,  les 
beaux  valseurs,  the  nice  waltzers.)      -^^ 
"  He  that  fights  and  runs  away,  will  live  to  fight  another 
day." 

Plurals  of  Adjectives. — They  follow  the  same  rule 
as  Nouns,  chiefly  by  adding  s  to  the  masculine  and  feminine 
singular,  as,  bon,  bons  (m),  bonne,  bonnes  (f) ;  but  al  and 
au,  making  aux  :  brutal,  drutaux ;  beau,  beaux,  s  and 
X  do  not  change. 

Les  beaux  chevaux,  theyf;?^  horses ;  de  beaux  cheveux, 
(some)  fine  hair  (or  hairs). 

"Contra  distinctions  in  Adjectives  and  Nouns." 

Adjectives  are  sometimes  used  like  Nouns,  with  an  Ar- 
ticle and  s  for  the  plural,  in  which  case  they  are  always 
masculine ;  as,  le  bon,  les  bons.  Le  bien  commence  est  k 
moitie  fait.  The  well  commenced  is  half  finished.  On  the 
contrary  they  are  at  times  made/r^w  Nouns,  in  such 
cases  no  article  will  be  required. 

Quand  on  a  des  filles  on  est  toujours  berger.  When  one  has 
daughters  one  is  always  shepherd. 

Not  a  Shepherd,  but  qualified  for  becoming  one. 

Certainement  cet  homme  est  fou:  certainly  that  man  is  mad  (Ad- 
jective) ;  but,  c'est  unfou;  he  is  afoot;  unfou  is  a  Noun, 


28 


Drurys  French  Grammar 


THE  OLD  FOOLS. 


LES  JEUNES   FOUS. 


THE  YOUNG  FOOLS.  ^^^  vicux  fous  sont  plus  fous  quc 
les  jeunes.  The  old  fools  are  more 
fools  (foolish)  than  the  young. 

In  the  Dictionary  Fou  is  shown 
as  a  Noun,  ^^VAsljeune  is  an  Adjective ; 
in  the  present  illustration  they  are  re- 
versed: for  Fous  with  les  before  it 
means  the  Fools  ^ 
without  the  Article 
it     means    foolish : 

whereasy<??/;Z(fj  of  itself  is  an  Adjective 

and  does  not  require  an  Article ;  but 

in   this   example   its    signification   is, 

young  people,  or  the  young  fools ;  thus 

the    real   meaning   is,  that   "  the  old 

Fools  are  more  foolish  than  the  young 

Fools:' 

Les  querelles  ne  dureraient  pas  longtemps  si  le  tort  n'etait  que 
d'un  cote.  (The)  quarrels  would  not  last  very  long  if  the  fault  was 
only  of  one  side. 

II  faut  etre  fou  avec  les  fous — One  must  be  fool  with 
the  Fools.  Sembler  fou  c'est  un  heureux  secret  du  sage 
— To  seem  to  be  fool  (or  foolish)  is  a  happy  secret  of  the 
wise ;  or,  as  it  is  stated  in  an  English  proverb,  "It 
takes  a  wise  man  to  be  a  Fooiy  The  Fool  may  be  a 
wise  man,  therefore  he  was  qualified  for  taking  a  Fool's 
part ;  besides,  at  times,  it  does  not  do  to  be  too  wise 
amongst  fools,  it  might  be  inconvenient ;  therefore  a  man 
may  wisely  pass  himself  off  as  fool  (or  foolish)  just  to  save 
appearances ;  making  himself  an  Adjective  instead  of  a 
Noun. 


LES   VIEUX  FOUS. 


II  arrive  quelquefois  des  accidents  dans  la  vie  d'ou  il  faut  etre  un 
peufou  pour  s'en  bien  tirer.  It  happens  sometimes  of  the  chances 
in  (the)  life,  where  it  is  necessary  to  be  a  little  foolish  (or  fool)  for 
to  well  draw  oneself  off  (meaning  it  may  be  necessary  to  be  rather 
foolish  to  get  out  of  a  difficulty). 

Adjectives  may  be  turned  into  Adverbs  by  addition  of 
ment  to  the  feminine ;  as,  bon  (;;/),  bon«^  (/),  bonnem^Vity 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View.  29 

good,  goodly;  doux  (m),  diOMce  (/),  doucementy   sweet, 
sweetly. 

When  an  Adjective  has  a  Pronoun  joined  it  must  agree 
with  the  Noun  understood;  a  man  speaking  of  himself 
would  say,  moi  seul ;  a  woman,  moi  seule,  me  alone ; 
il  est  bienyat//,  he  is  well  made ;  elle  est  bien  faite,  she  is 
well  made. 

Degrees  of  Comparison. — ist.  In  a  positive  sense. 
I  may  say  that  "  My  wife  is  pretty,"  ma  femme  est  jolie. 

2nd.  Comparing  her  with  yours,  "Ma  femme   est 
plus  jolie  que  la  votre,"  my  wife  is  more       ^^  \f\Y-E. 
pretty  {prettier)  than  (the)  yours ;  "  mais 
votre    femme    est  plus   aimable   que   la 
mienne,"  but  your  wife  is  more  amiable 
than  (the)  mine. 

3rd.  Superlatively,  or  in  the  highest 

degree,  "  Ma  femme  est  la  plus  folie,  mais 

son  caractere  est  un  peu  violent,  tandis  que 

votre  femme  est  la  plus  douce,  et  on  dit 

qu'elle  etait  tres-belle  dans  sa  jeunesse,  ce 

qui  est  vrai,  sans  doute,  je  dois  done  vous 

fdiciter  de  votre  choix."     "  My  wife  is      ma  femme. 

the  most  pretty  {prettiest),  but  her  temper 

is  a  little  violent,  whilst  your  wife  is  the  most  sweet,  and 

they  say  that  she  was  very  handsome  in  her  youth  (this), 
YOUR  WIFE.  which  is  true  without  doubt,  I  must 
then  congratulate  you  on  your  choice." 
(Mem.  For  all  that,  mentally  speaking, 
I  prefer  my  own  wife.)  Thus  the  Com- 
parative of  superiority  is  shown  by 
placing  the  Adverb ////j-  (more)  before 
the  Adjectives  pretty  and  sweet,  and 
the  superlative  by  le  or  la  plus  (the 
most). 

Inferiority  is  formed  by  the  Adverbs 
inoins,  less  ;  as,  elle  est  moins  jolie  que 
ma  femme,  she  is  less  pretty  than  my 
wife ;  or,  ma  femme  n'est  pas  si  aim- 


30  Drury's  French  Grammar 

able  que  la  votre,  my  wife  is  not  so  amiable  as  (the) 
yours. 

La  passion  fait  souvent  un  fou  du  plus  habile  homme,  et  rend 
souvent  habile  les  plus  sots.  (The)  passion  (love)  makes  often  a  fool 
of  the  most  clever  man,  and  renders  often  sharp  the  most  stupid. 

Bon^  good,  makes  meilleur^  better,  le  meilleur^  the  best. 
Mauvais,  bad,  piir^  worse,  le  pire^  the  worst.  Petit^  little, 
moi7idre,  less,  le  molndre,  the  least. 

La  Hberalite  du  pauvre  est  la  meilleure  des  liberalites ; 
the  liberality  of  the  poor  is  the  best  of  HberaHties.  De 
toutes  les  femmes  c'est  la  plus  heureuse;  of  all  (the)  women 
this  is  the  most  happy.  La  mauvatse  herbe  croit  toujours; 
the  bad  weeds  grow  always. 

Les  plus  grands  font  place  pour  les 
plus  petits.  The  most  big  make  place 
for  the  most  little. 

Ta  bonte,  O  Dieu,  est  meilleure 
que  la  vie.  Thy  goodness,  O  God, 
is  better  (or  more  better)  than  (the) 
life. 

Plus,  jnoinsy  mieux,  are  Adverbs  which  modify  Adjec- 
tives, and  they  take  the  Article  le  ;  as,  leplus  heureux,  le 
plus  heureuse;;^^;^/  doud. 

i5/<?«,  well;  ;;z2V«;c,  better;  /<?  ;«/V//Jt,  the  best ;  »z^/,  bad; 
pis  or  plus  mal,  worse;  le  pis  or  le  plus  mal,  the  worst; 
peu,  little ;  moins,  less ;  le  moins,  the  least. 

Le  mieux  est  I'ennemi  du  bien.  The  best  is  the  enemy  of 
the  good. 

Comparative  of  equality  is  shown  also  by  aussi  {as) 
before  the  Adjective  and  qite  (than)  after;  as.  Ma  femme 
est  aussi  belle  que  la  rose  ;  my  wife  is  as  beautiful  as  the 
rose ;  also  by  autant  de  {as  much  as),  Autant  de  fraicheur 
que  la  rose,  as  much  of  freshness  as  the  rose. 

A  negative  comparative  is  formed  by  si  (so)  before  the 
Adjective  and  que  after;  as,  Elle  n'est  pas  si  aimable  que 
votre  femme;  she  is  not  so  amiable  as  your  wife. 

Superlative  quality  may  be  shown  also  by  tres,  very, 
fort,  strong,  injiniment,  infinitely,  and  extremement,  ex- 
tremely ;  as,  Ce  livre  est  extremement  rare,  this  book  is 
extremely  rare. 


tu. 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  Viezv.  3 1 

Rien  VlQsX  plus  fort  ^z/'amour  de  femme.   Nothing  is  so 
(or  fnore)  strong  than  love  of  woman. 


NUMERALS. 

Numbers  are  Adjectives  which  precede  Nouns.  They 
are  invariable,  excepting  number  One,  which  is  the  same 
as  used  for  the  Indefinite  Article;  viz.,  un^  masculine,  uncy 
feminine,  «,  an^  or  one. 

Cardinal  Numbers  are :  Un  (m),  une  (f),  i ;  deux,  2 ; 
trois,  3 ;  quatre,  4;  cinq,  5  ;  six,  6;  sept,  7;  huit,  8 ;  neuf, 
9 ;  dix,  10  ;  onze,  11  \  douze,  12  ;  treize,  13  ;  quatorze,  14; 
quinze,  15;  seize,  16 ;  dix-sept,  17;  dix-huit,  18;  dix- 
neuf,  19;  vingt,  20;  vingt-et-un,  21;  vingt-deux,  22; 
vingt-trois,  23 ;  vingt-quatre,  24 ;  vingt-cinq,  25  ;  vingt- 
six,  26;  vingt-sept,  27;  vingt-huit,  28;  vingt-neuf,  29; 
trente,  30;  trente-et-un,  31;  trente-deux,  32,  &c. ;  qua- 
rante,  40;  quarante-et-un,  41;  quarante-deux,  42;  cin- 
quante,  50;  cinquante-et-un,  51;  cinquante-deux,  52; 
soixante,  60  j  soixante-et-un,  61;  soixante-deux,  62,  &c. ; 
soixante-dix,  70;  soixante-et-onze,  71;  soixante-douze, 
72,  &c. ;  quatre-vingts,  80;  quatre-vingt-un,  81;  quatre- 
vingt-deux,  82 ;  quatre-vingt-dix,  90 ;  quatre-vingt-onze, 
91,  &c. ;  cent,  100;  cent-un,  loi,  &c;  deux  cents,  200; 
trois  cents,  300 ;  quatre  cents,  400  ;  cinq  cents,  500,  &c. ; 
mille,  1,000;  deux  mille,  2,000,  &c.;  vingt  mille,  20,000; 
&c. ;  un  million,  1,000,000. 

Ordinal  Numbers  :  Le  premier,  the  ist;  le  second,  the 
2nd ;  le  troisieme,  the  3rd ;  le  quatribme,  the  4th ;  le 
cinqui^me,  the  5  th;  le  sixibme,  the  6th  ;  le  septi^me,  the 
7th;  le  huitieme,  the  8th;  le  neuvieme,  the  9th;  le 
dixieme,  the  loth;  le  onzieme,  the  nth;  le  douzi- 
eme,  the  12th;  le  treizibiie,  the  13th;  le  quatorzi^me, 
the  14th;  le  quinzi^me,  the  15th;  le  seizieme,  the  i6th; 
le  dix-septieme,  the  17th;  le  dix-huitieme,  the  i8th;  le 
dix-neuvi^me,  the  i9tli;  le  vingtibme,  the  20th;  le  vingt- 
et-unieme,  the  21st;  le  vingt-deuxi^me,  the  22  nd,  &c. ; 
le  trentieme,  the  30th ;  le  quaranti^me,  the  40th ;  le  cin- 
quantieme,  the  50th;  le  soixantieme,  the  60th;  le  soi- 


32  Drurfs  French  Grammar 

xante-dixieme,  the  70th;  le  quatre-vingtieme,  the  80th; 
le  quatre-vingt-dixieme,  the  90th;  le  centibme,  the  looth ; 
le  cent-cinquantieme,  the  150th;  le  deux-centieme,  the 
200th;  le  milHeme,  the  i,oooth;  le  millionieme,  the 
i,ooo,oooth,  &c. 

Fractionals  :  La  moitie,  the  i ;  le  tiers,  the  \ ;  le  quart, 
the  \ ;  les  deux  tiers,  the  \ ;  les  trois  quarts,  the  \. 

Collectives  :  Une  douzaine ;  le  double ;  le  triple ;  le 
quadruple ;  &c, 

Le  diner  tue  la  moitie  de  Paris  et  le  souper  tue  I'autre.  (The) 
dinner  kills  the  Jialf  of  Paris  and  (the)  supper  kills  the  other. — 
Montesquieu. 

Qu'est-ce  que  Ton  voit  une  fois  dans  une  minute,  deux  fois  dans 
un  moment,  et  que  Ton  ne  pourrait  cependant  voir  dans  cent  ans  ? 

What  is  that  which  people  see,  one  time  (once)  in  one  minute,  two 
times  (twice)  in  a  moment,  and  which  they  will  not  nevertheless  (to) 
see  in  one  hundred  years  ?     Ans. — La  lettre  M. 

Mem. — Twenty  and  hundred,  vingt  and  cent,  are 
the  only  numerals  capable  of  taking  a  plural;  these 
do  so  when  they  are  multiplied  by  another  number;  as, 
quatre-vingts,  80,  or  4  times  20  =  80,  in  such  case  the 
s  is  added ;  also  4  times  100  =  400,  or  quatre  cents;  but  if 
followed  by  another  number  the  s  is  not  required :  say, 
quatre-e'/;z^/-cinq  (85)  and  quatre  cent  dix  (no). 

Mille  (1,000)  is  used  in  three  different  ways:  mil, 
abbreviation  for  years;  as,  mil  quatre  cent  douze,  year 
141 2;  zmW^ prisonniers,  i,coo  prisoners;  mille,  mile, 
with  s  for  plural,  as  trois  milles,  3  miles. 

'  *  Deux  moineaux  sur  mime  epi  ne  sont  pas  longtemps  unis. "  Two 
sparrows  on  same  ear  are  not  long  united. 

**  Qui  veut  etre  riche  en  un  an,  au  bout  de  six  mois  est  pendu." 
Who  would  (to)  be  rich  in  one  year,  in  about  of  six  months  is 
hanged  ;  meaning  that,  six  months  is  too  short  a  time  for  anyone  to 
become  rich  in,  by  honest  means  (or,  it  shows  questionable  means). 

There  are  three  other  kinds  of  Adjectives,  which  I  desire 
particularly  to  call  attention  to,  because  most  grammarians 
classify  them  as  Pronouns.  Messrs.  Noel  and  Chapsal, 
however,  do  not,  and  I  believe  it  to  be  preferable  and 
easier  for  pupils  to  follow  the  ideas  of  Messrs.  N.  and  C. 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View,  33 

These  Pronominal  Adjectives  always  precede  Nouns; 
say,  mon  livre,  my  book;  ce  couteau,  this  knife; 
cet  homme,  this  man ;  cette  femme,  this  woman ;  those 
words  as  thoroughly  distinguish  their  respective  Nouns, 
as  the  word  good  does,  when  placed  before  a  Noun  (but 
Pronouns  stand  in  place  of,  or  refer  to  Noims,  and  are  con- 
nected with  Verbs  or  other  Pronouns,  mver  Joined  to  Nouns). 

ist  are,  Demonstrative  Adjectives :  ce,  cet  {??iasculine, 
singular) ;  cette  {feminme,  singular)^  meaning  this ; 
ces,  these,  plural  for  both  genders  :  ce  soldat,  ces  soldats, 
this,  these  soldiers;  ces  hommes,  these  men;  ces  enfants, 
these  children. 

Note. — Ce  is  used  before  a  Noun  masculine  com- 
mencing with  a  consonant  or  H  aspirated :  ce  couteau,  ce 
heros.  Cet  before  a  vowel  or  H  7nute:  cet  enfant,  cet 
homme. 

2nd.  Possessive  Adjectives  (jnasculine)  are,  mon,  my  ; 
ton,  thy;  son,  his,  her;  notVQ,  our;  voire, your;  leur, 
their;  {feminine),  ma,  my  ;  ta,  thy;  sa,  her,  his;  notre, 
our;  votre,  your;  leur,  their ;  mon  p^re,  my  father; 
ta  mbre,  thy  mother;  son  fr^re,  his  or  her  brother;  sa 
soeur,  his,  or  her  sister.  Mes,  tes,  ses,  nos,  vos, 
leurs  form  the  plural  of  both  genders ;  as,  7ncs  fr^res, 
my  brothers ;  mes  soeurs,  my  sisters ;  leurs  enfants,  their 
children. 

3rd.  Indefinites:  aucun,  none;  autre,  another; 
chaque,  each;  certain,  so7ne ;  meme,  sa?7ie ;  nul, 
none;  plusieurs,  many ;  quel,  which;  quelconque, 
whichruer ;  quelque,  which;  tel,  such  ;  tout,  all,  &c. 

It  is  very  important,  that  this  ki7id  of 
Adjective  should  be  well  understood  as 
such,  and  not  be  confounded  with  Pro- 
nouns :  Aime-;;/^/,  aime  mon  chien,  love 
me,  love  my  dog.  Me  is  Pronoun,  being 
joined  to  a  Verb  ;  my  is  Adjective,  as  it 
is  joined  to  a  Noun  ;  le  meme,  the  same, 
is  a  Pronoun  by  itself,  but  le  meme 
homme,  speaks  as  an  Adjective,  and  dis-^ 
tinguishes  a  certai7i  77ian ;  ce  couteau, 
this  knife,  speaks  as  an  Adjective ;  ce  sent  les  couteaux, 

c 


34  Drurfs  French  Grammar 

these  2X0,  the  knives,  meaning  this  lot,  as  a  whole^  speaks  as 
a  Pronoun,  because  it  precedes  a  Verb  {sont).  It  has  a 
continued  idiomatic  expression,  this  Pronoun  ce.  See  also 
page  41. 

Exercises  on  the  Pronoun  Adjective  :  O  Dieu,  mon  dme  a  soif  de 
toi  en  cette  terre  deserte — O  God,  my  soul  has  thirst  of  thee  in  this 
earth  desert.  Ouvre  mes  levres,  et  ma  bouche  annoncera  ta  louange; 
open  my  lips  and  my  mouth  shall  shew  forth  thy  praise.  Garde  ma 
vie — Save  my  life.  Chaque  oiseau  trouve  son  nid  beau — Each  bird 
finds  his  nest  beautiful.  Le  gourmand  mange  sa  mort,  il  creuse  sa 
fosse  avec  ses  dents — The  glutton  eats  his  death,  he  digs  his  grave 
with  his  teeth.  La  langue  des  femmes  est  leur  epee,  et  elles  ne  la 
laissent  pas  rouiller — The  tongue  of  the  women  is  their  sword,  and 
they  do  not  let  it  rust.  Le  bossu  ne  voit  pas  sa  bosse,  mais  il  voit 
celle  de  son  confrhe — The  humpback  sees  not  his  own  hump,  but  he 
sees  that  of  his  neighbour  (meaning  ' '  that  people  can  always  see  the 
faults  of  others,  but  their  own  they  place  behind  themselves ") ; 
"^£y",  before  "own  hump"  and  " neighbour, " are  Adjectives  because 
they  precede  Nouns,  but  *^that"  is  a  Pronoun  because  it  only  signifies 
*'that  one"  of  his  neighbour.  II  faut  manger  selon  son  goM  et 
s'habiller  au  gout  des  autres — It  is  necessary  (or  one  must)  to  eat  ac- 
cording to  his  taste  and  himself  dress  to  the  taste  of  others  (meaning 
that  an  extreme  contrast  in  dress  is  absurd). 

Examples  ofthethree  preceding  parts  of  speech:  Article, 
Noun,  Adjective.  Lami  (m)  par  interet  est  comme  une 
hirondelle  (f)  sur  les  toils  (m) — The  friend  by  interest  is  like 
a  swallow  on  the  tiles.  Les  petits  ruisseaux  (m)  font  les 
grandes  rivieres  {i) — (The)  little  streams  YCiakQ.ih.Q  big  rivers. 

Le miel  (m)  est  doux.,m.2is  rabeille  (f)  pique — The  honey  is 
sweet,  but  the  bee  stings.  La  gourinandise  (f )  a  tu^  plus 
de  gens  que  I'epee  (f) — {The)  gluttony  has  killed  more  of 
people  than  the  sword.  La  bonte  (f )  de  Dieu  dure  tous  les 
jours  (m) — The  kindness  of  God  remains  all  the  days  (for 
ever).  Retire-toi  du  mal  (m)  et  fais  le  bien  (m),  et  tu 
auras  une  habitation  eternelle  (f) — Withdraw  thou  from  evil, 
and  do  {the)  good,  and  thou  shalt  have  an  habitation  eternal. 

Prends  garde  h  Phomme  integre  (m),  et  consid^re  Vhomme 
droit  (m),  car  la  fin  (f)  d'un  tel  homme  (m)  est  la  paix; 
take  heed  to  the  man  honest,  consider  the  man  upright,  for 
the  end  of  such  a  man  is  {^he)  peace.     Un  pied  (m)  vaut 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View. 


35 


E.J.D 


mieux  que  deux  echasses{i) — One  foot  is  better  than  two  stilts: 
mais  quelques  fois, 
deux  khasses  valent 
mieux  que  deux  pieds, 
but  sometimes  two 
stilts  are  worth  more 
than  two  feet.  Com- 
pare the  fiddler  and 
drunkard,  or  the  dogs 
on  two  legs.  En 
Russie  le  lundi  (m) 
passe  pour  mi  jour 
malheureux  (m) — In 
Russia    the    Monday    passes    for    a    day    unfortunate. 

Dieu  prit  une  cote  d'Adam  pour  en  faire  notre  mhre  Eve^ 
mais  il  ne  faut  pas  croire  pour  cela,  comme  fait  le  vulgaire^ 
que  dans  les  descendants  d^Adam,  les  hommes  ont  une  cote 
de  moins  que  les  femmes — God  took  a  slice  from  Adam  for 
to  make  our  mother  Eve,  but  it  must  not  be  thought  for 
that  (reason  of  slice),  as  make  (say)  it  the  ignorant,  that  in 
the  descendants  of  Adafn,  the  men  have  a  slice  (or  rib)  the 
less.  II  ne  faut  pas  badiner  avec  le  feu  ni  avec  V amour  ; 
one  must  not  play  with  (Jhe^  fire,  neither  with  [the)  love. 

U amour  at  lafumee  ne  peuvent  se  cacher — {The)  love  and 
{the)  smoke  cannot  hide  themselves.  Ce  n'est  pas  la  nature 
qui  rend  la  fem?ne  belle,  c'est  Vamour — It  is  not  [the) 
nature  which  renders  the  woman  beautiful,  it  is  {fhi)  love. 


PRONOUNS. 

The  Pronoun  is  a  small  word  used  to  prevent  repe- 
tition of  a  Noun ;  it  stands  in  place  thereof,  having  re- 
ference to  some  Noun  spoken  of,  referred  Xo,  or  understood 
{neverjoinedtoa  Noun).  Say;  I  love  her,  she  loves  me 
and  kisses  her  dog.  What !  loves  you,  a  nice-looking 
young  man,  yet  kisses  that  nasty,  ugly  dog  ?  Yes,  kisses 
it,  but  loves  us  both.  Thus,  I,  her,  she,  me,  you,  it, 
us  are  Pronouns,  because  they  refer  to,  or  stand  for, 
man,  woman,  and  dog,  without  naming  one  or  the 


3^  Dnirfs  French  Grammar 

other ;  but  her  and  that^  which  precede  the  Noun  dog", 
are  Adjectives,  as  previously  spoken  of. 

Pronouns  are  Personal,  Possessive,  Demonstrative, 
Relative,  and  Indeterminative. 

Personal  Pronouns  are  so  termed  because  they  refer  to 
persons  only;  these  are  Conjunctive  and  Disjunctive. 

The  Conjunctive  is  joined  to  a  Verb,  (preceding  it, 
excepting  in  the  Imperative  affirmative),  governing  it  in 
the  No77iinative  ;  as,  Je  parle,  /  speak  ;  or  being  governed 
by  it  in  the  Dative:  il  me  donne,  he  to  me  gives;  je  lui 
parle,  I  to  him  speak.  Accusative  :  je  /(?  loue,  I  him  praise  ; 
je  la  loue,  I  her  praise ;  vous  la  surprendrez,  you  her  wil\ 
surprise  ;  il  me  frappe,  he  me  strikes. 

The  Nominatives  are  :  je,  //  tu,  thou;  il,  he;  elle, 
she;  nous,  we;  vous,  you ;  ils  (m),  elles  (f),  they. 
Datives :  me,  to  me ;  te,  to  thee  ;  lui,  to  him^  to  her,  to 
it.  Accusatives:  me,  me;  te,  thee;  le,  hi?n,  it;  la, 
her,  it.  Plurals:  nous,  to  us,  us;  vous,  to  you,  you; 
leur,  to  thein,  them  ;  les,  them.  These  precede  Verbs  or 
their  auxiliaries  (differently  to  the  English);  for,  je  le 
vois,  I  him  see;  je  la  connaissais,  I  her  knew;  il  leur  a 
parle,  he  to  them  has  spoken. 

The  Genitive  of  all  Conjunctive  personals  is  en.  Dis- 
junctives usually  follow  their  Verbs,  but  may  stand  alone. 
Such  are,  moi,  me ;  toi,  thee,  thou;  lui,  he,  him,  it ; 
elle,  she,  her,  it.  These  can  be  de- 
clined by  de  and  a  ;  as,  de  mot,  of  me ; 
a  moi,  to  me ;  de  toi,  of  thee  ;  i  toi,  to 
thee;  as,  je  vous  parle  d  vous  et  non 
pas  a  lui,  I  you  speak  to  you,  and  not 
to  him. 


Dis-W(?z'qui  tu  hantes,  e\.Je  te  dirai  qui  tu  es. 
Tell  me  who  thou  frequentest,  and  /  thee  will 
say  who  thou  art  (birds  of  a  feather  flock  to- 
gether). 

Y)ox\x\^z-moi  du  pain.     This  is  an 

example  of  the  Imperative  affirmative, 

Donnez-/<?  lui.        where  the  Pronoun  follows  the  Verb, 

Give  it  him.         ^s  in   English — give  me  some  bread ; 

but  if  used  in  a  negative  form,  the  Pronoun  will  precede 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View.  37 

the  Verb,  as  is  usual  in  French :  ne  me  le  donnez  pas,  not 
me  it  give  not. 

When  inward  expression  of  mind  and  speech  go  together, 
two  Pronouns  are  made  use  of;  as,  /  me^  thou  thee,  he 
him,  she  her,  we  we,  you  you,  they  the?n :  je  me,  tu  te,  il 
se,  elle  se,  nous  nous,  vous  vous,  ils  se,  elles  se. 
Thus  the  subject  and  object  both  precede  their  Verbs ;  as, 
Je  ;;z'adresserai  'k  lui,  /  me  will  address  to  him.  Such 
Verbs  are  termed  Reflectives,  because  the  Pronoun  makes 
them  reflect  on  themselves. 

O  Dieu  quand  Je  me  souviens  de  toi :  O  God  when  / 
me  remember  of  thee.  Aide-toi  et  Dieu  t'aidera — Aid 
thou,  and  God  thee  will  aid ;  te  drops  its  own  vowel  before 
the  Verb's  vowel ;  instead  of  te  aidera,  it  is  t'aidera. 

Moi  {me),  &c.,  joined  to  meme,  makes  a  Compound 
Pronoun;  as,  moi-meme,  myself;  toi-7neme,  thyself;  lui- 
meme,  himself;  elle-meme,  herself;  soi-meme,  oneself;  nous- 
memes,  ourselves;  vous-memes,  yourselves;  ils  or  elles- 
mtmes,  themselves.     These  can  be  declined  by  de  and  cL. 

Comment  pretendons-nous  qu'un  autre  garde  notre  secret  si  nous 
ne  pouvons  le  garder  nous-mimes.  How  pretend  we  that  another 
keep  our  secret,  if  we  cannot  it  guard  ourselves, 

Se,  or  sol,  oneself,  himself,  herself,  is  a  (selfish)  Personal 
Pronoun  of  the  third  person  singular  only ;  as,  soi-meme, 
de  soi-meme,  d  soi-meme.  Soi  relates  to  a  previous  Noun, 
say  man:  Cet  homme  travaille.pour  soi,  that  man  works 
for  himself,  not  for  lui  {him),  which  might  mean  any 
other  man  (cet  homme  travaille  pour  lui,  means,  that  man 
works  for  him). 

Chacun  pour  soi,  each  one  for  himself. 

Although  the  French  have  not  a  neuter  gender,  it  seems 
as  if  they  could  not  do  without  a  neuter  Pronoun  for  in- 
animate objects  and  animals,  where  we  in  English  refer 
to,  or  make  use  of  the  word  //  (which  we  often  do)  ;  there- 
fore the  words  le,  la,  les,  become  Pronouns  when  they 
precede  Verbs,  having  merely,  reference  to  Nouns  or  Ad- 
jectives. They  must  agree  in  gender  and  number  when 
they  refer  to  a  Noun  ;  but  in  case  they  should  only  refer  to 
an  Adjective^  or  Noun  taken  as  Adjective,  then  le  and  les 


38 


Drury^s  French  Grammar 


only  are  used,  because  an  Adjective  has  no  gender  of  it- 
self. 

The  student  must  be  very  particular  not  to  clash  these 
Pronouns  with  the  same  words  as  Articles ;  these  always 
precede  Verbs,  whereas  Kxiicles  always  precede  Nouns  : 
C'est  le  chien  dont  j'ai  parle,  ne  le  touchez  pas — It  is  the 
dog  of  which  I  spoke,  it  touch  not.  Le  before  the  Verb 
touchez,  merely  refers  to  the  dog,  and  is  therefore  a  Pro- 
noun, whereas  k  before  the  Noun  chien,  is  an  Article.  Je 
le  vois,  I  it  see.  Connaissez-vous  la  maison?  Do  you 
know  the  house?  Yes,  Je  la  connais,  I  it  know.  The 
house  being  feminine,  it  requires  \h.Q  femiftine  Pronoun. 
La  before  maison  (house)  is  an  Article  preceding  a  Noun, 
whereas  la  before  the  Verb  connais  is  a  Pronoun  having 
refere?ice  only  to  the  house. 

Qui  quitte  sa  place  (f)  la  perd; 
who  quits  his  place  it  loses.  Les 
brebis  comptees,  le  loup  les  mange ; 
the  sheep  counted,  the  wolf  them 
eats;  this  proverb  means  that  those 
who  keep  their  money  for  the  pleasure 
of  counting  it,  lose  by  interest,  for 
money,  like  manure,  must  be  well 
spread  to  bring  forth  good  harvest 
or  interest.  Les  fous  inventent  les 
modes,  et  les  sages  les  suivent — ( The) 
fools  invent  the  fashions,  and  the  wise 
them  follow(/^j  before  the  Nouns;&«j, 
modes,  sages,  are  Articles,  but  before 
the  Verb  suivent,  les  is  a  Pronoun. 

The  Ftench  do  not  make  use  of  capitals  for  Cojutnon  Nouns,  not 
even  for  days  of  the  week. 

Say  to  a  woman,  Are  you  the  sick  woman?  she  will 
reply,  Je  la  suis  (I  her  am) ;  but  say,  Are  you  sick  ?  she 
replies,  Je  le  suis  (I  it  am).  Ask,  Are  you  the  mother 
of  these  children  ?  she  will  answer,  Je  la  suis  (I  her  am) ; 
but  alter  it  to,  Etes-vous  mere?  the  answer  will  be,  Je 
le  suis  (I  it  am,  or,  I  am  so).  The  reason  for  the  diffe- 
rence is  that  when  the  Pronoun  represents  a  Noun,  say, 
the  mother,  the  sick  woman,  the  Pronoun  takes  the  gender 
of  the  Noun  it  represents,  viz.,  la;  whereas  the  le  repre- 
sents an  Adjective,  or  a  Noun  taken  adjectivelyy  in  which 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View.  39 

sense  it  is  invariable  ;  le  therefore  means  it,  as  represent- 
ing illness.  In  English  we  should  say,  Are  you  ill  ?  and 
reply,  I  am,  or  I  am  so  {it  being  understood).  Again,  la 
speaks  of  the  mother,  a  Noun,  whereas  le  refers  to  a 
mother  in  a  general  sense  of  motherly,  as,  Are  you  mother 
to  these  children  ? — acting  the  part  of  mother,  though 
not  a  mother,  never  was  one,  and  may  be  an  old  maid 
for  what  you  know,  and  who  is  never  likely  to  be  other- 
wise ;  consequently  she  becomes  an  Adjective,  instead 
of  a  Noun,  This  le  is  also  termed  a  supply  Pronoun, 
its  chief  and  particular  meaning,  being  so  ;  as,  I  arn  so. 
Are  you  content  ?  Je  le  suis.  I  so  am ;  or,  Je  ne  le  suis 
pas,  I  so  am  not ;  yet  speaking  like  a  neuter  Pronoun,  //. 

There  are  also  two  other  Pronouns,  y  and  en,  made 
use  of  in  very  much  the  same  manner;  but  their  signifi- 
cations are  more  extended.  In  reality  they  are  Adverb 
and  Preposition,  but  are  here  used  as  Personal  Pronouns, 
and  refer  to  any  person  or  thing  immediately  preceding; 
but  generally  understood  in  EngUsh.  Y,  to  him,  her, 
it,  them,  there,  here,  precedes  the  Verb;  as,  J>  consens,  I 
to  it  consent.  N'^  touchez  pas;  not  to  it  touch,  yy 
crois;  I  /*/  believe.  Yy  vais ;  I  there  go.  Yy  pensais;  I 
of  it,  of  her,  was  thinking.  Y  consentez-vous  ?  To  it 
consent  you  ?  Je  ne  m'y  rends  pas,  I  tiot  there  am  going. 
When  a  precedes  a  Noun,  the  Pronoun  y  will  act  as  the 
complement:  Vous  pensez  d.  lui?  oui;  j>  pense  tou- 
jours.  Yes ;  I  ^^ /^m  think  always.  Allez-vous^^rop^ra? 
oui,  yy  vais.    Yes,  I  there  go. 

En,  of  him,  her,  it,  them,  some,  any,  also  precedes  the 
Verb.  Yen  ai,  I  some  have  (or  have  some).  Je  n'en  ai 
pas,  I  not  any  have  not.  En  voulez-vous?  Of  it  will 
you  have  ?  Soyez-en  sur,  be  of  it  sure  (or  be  sure  of  it). 
Y^n  parlerai,  I  of  it  will  speak.  Elle  nV«  a  pas,  she  of 
it  has  none.  II  en  a,  he  of  it  has  some.  En  avez-vous  ? 
some  have  you  ?    Nous  en  parlous,  we  of  it,  or  them  speak. 

When  y  and  en  come  together  y  precedes  en  ;  as,  il  y 
en  envoya,  he  there  some  sent. 

The  order  of  the  preceding  Pronouns  runs  thus :  fe, 
me,  te,  se,  nous,  vous,  precede  all  others ;  le,  la,  les,  precede 
luif  leur;  lui,  leur,  before  y  ;  and  y  before  en. 


40  Drurfs  Fre?tch  Grammar 

When  the  Partitive  or  Indefinite  Article  {du,  de  ia,  de  l\ 
deSf  un,  une)  precedes  a  Noun,  the  Pronoun  en  is  the 
complement :  Mangez-vous  du  pain  ?  oui,  ]'en  mange. 
Yes,  I  so7?ie  eat. 

Possessive  Pronouns  call  to  mind  a  Noun,  with  an 
idea  of  possession,  as  le  mien,  la  mienne,  ///^  i?n7tey 
the  thifie,  &c.  Whose  dog  is  that  ?  //  is  mine.  These 
can  be  declined  with  the  Articles,  as,  le  mien  (m),  la 
mienne  (f),  les  miens  (m  p),  les  miermes  (f  p),  mine ;  du 
mien,  de  la  mienne,  des  miens,  des  miennes,  of  mine ;  au 
mien,  d,  la  mienne,  aux  7niens,  aux  mie7ines,  to  mine ;  le 
iien,  la  tienne,  les  tiens,  les  tiennes,  thine ;  le  sien,  la  sienne, 
les  siens,  les  sien7ies,  his  or  hers ;  le  or  la  7idtre,  les  7idtres, 
ours  j  le  or  la  voire,  les  vdt7-es,  yours ;  le  or  la  leur,  les  leurs, 
theirs. 

Mem. — Notice  the  accent  over  the  letter  6  in  notre  and 
votre ;  those  words  require  to  be  pronounced  long,  when 
preceded  by  Articles  (without  Articles  they  are  Adjec- 
tives). 

These  Pronouns  stand  at  once  for  two  Nouns ;  viz.,  the 
person  who  possesses,  and  for  the  thing  possessed,  and 
like  the  English,  ifs  mi7ie:  "the  dog,"  ""it's  mine,"  or  the 
dog  of  me ;  c'est  le  mien,  it  is  the  mine. 

Ne  regie  pas  la  montre  de  chacun  d'apres  la  tienne — Don't  regu- 
late the  watch  of  everybody  after  the  thine.  Watch  being  feminine, 
the  la  mienne  is  used,  not  le  mien,  which  would  refer  to  a  masculine 
Noun. 

Epitaph  on  a  poor  man's  tombstone  who  was  buried  side  by  side 
with  his  creditor  : 

**  Ici  tous  sont  egaux,  je  ne  te  dois  plus  rien  ; 
Je  suis  sur  mon  fumier,  comme  toi  sur  le  tien.^* 

'  Here  all  are  equal,  I  thee  no  more  do  owe  ; 
I  am  on  my  dung  heap,  as  thou  on  {the)  thine  also." 

Demonstrative  Pronouns  are  those  which  bring  to  mind 
a  Noun,  with  ideas  of  indication ;  such  are,  Masculine,  ce, 
ceci,  celui,  this,  that ;  celui-ci,  this  one ;  celui-la,  that 
one;  plural,  ceux,  these,  those;  ceux-ci,  these  here; 
ceux-la,  those  there.  Feminine,  celle,  this,  that ;  celle- 
ci,  this  one ;  celle-la,  that  one.  Plural  both  genders, 
celles,   these^  those;  celles-ci,  these  here;  celles-la. 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View. 


41 


those  there;  and  celui-qui,  celle-qui,  for  persons,  he 
who,  she  who ;  plural,  ceux,  celles,  those.  Ceci  est  bon, 
this  is  good.  Donnez-moi  cela,  give  me  that.  Ceux,  or 
celles,  qui  parlent,  those  who  speak. 

This  ce  must  not  be  confounded  with  Ce,  Adjective,  as 
before  spoken  of;  this  one  is  always  joined  to  the  Verb 
etre,  or  else  is  followed  by  the  Pronouns,  qui,  que,  quoi, 
dont ;  as,  ce  sont  leshommes,  these  are  the  men  (meaning, 
this  number  of  men  as  a  whole) ;  c'est  lui,  this  is  him ;  so 
that  before  a  vowel  ce  becomes  c' ;  celui-ci  et  celle-ld,  sont 
differents,  this  here  and  that  there  are  different. 

Une  triste  maison  que  celle  ou 
le  coq  se  tait  et  oil  la  poule 
chante.  A  sad  house  that  where 
the  cock  himself  keeps  quiet 
and  where  the  hen  crows  ;  said 
of  meek  men  and  scolding  wives. 

Celui  qui  glane  ne  choisit  pas. 
He  who  gleans  choses  not. 

Celui  qui  menace  a  grand 
bruit  veut  epargner  ses  mains. 
He  who  threatens  with  great 
noise  would  spare  his  hands.  Le 
plus  sage  est  celui  qui  ne  pense 
point  I'etre — The  wisest  is  he 
who  does  not  think  it  to  be. 


E.J.D. 


Ce  is  an  important  word  which  speaks  much  of  a 
Neuter  Gender;  we  often  say  '•'•ifs  him,"  ifs  her,  ifs 
them ;  the  French  use  it  with  the  Verb  etre,  as,  ^est  lui, 
ifs  him  ;  c^est  elle,  ifs  her ;  for  singular,  and  ce  sont  eux, 
ce  sont  elles,  "  they  are  them,"  for  plural.  Cest  possible, 
it  is  possible;  c'est  trois  heures,  ifs  three  o'clock.  Ce 
when  used  with  Relative  Pronouns,  at  commencement  of  a 
phrase,  is  repeated,  because  it  gives  greater  precision  to 
the  sentence  :  Ce  qui^st  certain,  {fest  que  le  monde  est  de 
travers — That  which  is  certain,  ifs  that  the  world  is  upside 
down.  Ce  is  also  used  in  the  place  of  //  and  elle,  &c., 
before  etre,  in  such  cases  as  these :  C'est  le  pere  de  ma 
femme,  ifs  (or  this  is) ;  c^est  une  jolie  femme. 

Car  sa  beaute  pour  nous,  c'est  notre  amour  pour  elle.  For  her 
beauty  for  us,  ifs  our  love  for  her.    (This  proverb  means  to  say,  that 


42  Drury's  French  Grammar 

however  ugly  may  be  a  man  or  woman,  **  squint  eyes,  turn-up  nose," 
&c. ,  yet  all  is  beautiful  if  there  be  love,  because  there  are  not  any 
ugly  lovers. ) 

Ce  qui  rend  les  douleurs  de  la  honte  et  de  la  jalousie  si  aigues,  fW, 
que  la  vanite  ne  peut  servir  a  les  supporter.  That  which  renders 
the  griefs  of  (the)  shame  and  (of  the)  jealousy  so  acute,  it's  that, 
(the)  vanity  is  not  able  to  them  to  support. 

Relative  Pronouns  refer  most  particularly  to /r^<r^///;^^ 
Nouns,  as  qui,  who^  which,  that ;  lequel  {mas.  sing.), 
lesquels  {mas.  plu.\  laquelle  {fern,  sing.),  lesquelles 
(fern. plu.),  who,  which;  used  for  persons  or  things  with 
the  Prepositions  d  and  de ;  as,  de  qui,  of  which ;  a  qui,  to 
which;  que  or  qu'  (accusative),  who,  which,  what ; 
dont,  of  which,  of  whom,  is  frequently  used,  instead  of 
de  qui;  (dont  must  not  be  confounded  ^'\\}[idonc  the  Con- 
junction, nor  with  dans  the  Preposition.)  L'homme  qui 
parle,  the  man  who  speaks.  La  femme  que  vous  voyez,  the 
woman  whom  you  see.  Lequel  {m)  de  ces  cigares  voulez- 
vous  ? —  Which  of  these  cigars  will  you  ?  Laquelle  (/)  de 
ces  poires  voulez-vous  ?  which  of  these  pears,  &c.  Qui 
voulez-vous  ?  whom  do  you  want  ?  ^^/^  voulez-vous  ?  what 
do  you  want?  {qui  is  for  the  subject,  and  que  is  for 
the  object).  La  dame  dont  j'ai  parle,  the  lady  of  whom 
I  have  spoken.  L'homme  dont  je  parle,  the  man  of  whom 
I  speak,  ^z^'avez-vous  done  ?  what  have  you  then  ?  (or 
what's  the  matter  with  you  ?) 

Le  chien  qui  aboie  ne  mord  pas,  the  dog  which  barks  don't  bite  ; 
(very  likely  he  don't  bite  whilst  he  is  barking,  but  after  he  has  done 
barking,  what  then  ?) 

Les  mouches  n'attaquent  point  une  marmite  qui  bout. 
(The)  flies  do  not  attack  a  pot  which  boils.  Qui  aime 
bien,  tard  oublie —  Who  loves  well,  late  forgets.  Pierre  qui 
roule  n'amasse  pas  mousse — Stone  which  rolls  not  gathers 
no  moss.     Qui  a  bu,  boira —  Who  has  drunk,  will  drink. 

Qui  se  couche  avec  des  chiens,  se  Ibve  avec  des  puces ; 
who  (himself)  goes  to  bed  with  the  dogs,  (himself)  gets  up 
with  fleas ;  this  refers  to  the  riffraff,  and  to  such  ladies 
as  fondle  their  dogs,  instead  of  children,  "but  it  is 
specially  and  respectfully  dedicated,  to  //^^/lady  in  Covent 
Garden,  Thursday,  April  i8,  1878  (day  preceding  Good 


in  an  Amushig  Point  of  View 


43 


Friday)  who  was  nursing  an  ugly  black-nosed,  overgorged 
pugdog,  whilst  a  servant  was  following  her,  with  the  baby." 
L'amour  est  une  passion  qui  vient  souvent  sans  que  Ton 
sache  comment,  et  qui  s'en  va  de  meme.  (The)  love  is  a 
passion  which  comes  often  without  thai  one  knows  how, 
and  which  goes  the  same. 

In  the  Rue  de  Ste.  Genevieve, 
Paris,  over  a  doorway,  is  a  statue 
of  Cupid  with  the  following  words. 
It  is  old  French,  with  seven  Pro- 
nouns in  it : — 

**  Qui  que  tu  sois,  voici  ton  maltre ; 
i7/'est,  le  fut,  ou  le  doit  ^re." 

Who  ever  thou  be,  here  is  thy  master ; 
He  so  is,  so  was,  or  so  must  be. 

Indeterminates  refer  in  a  vague  sort  of  way  to  Nouns 
never  joined  to  them.  Autrui,  others;  chacun,  each; 
Tun,  the  one ;  I'autre,  the  other ;  on,  one;  personne, 
nobody ;  quiconque,  whoever;  quelqu'un,  some  one ; 
rien,  nothing ;  chacun  pour  soi,  each  one  for  himself. 

Dans  la  maison  du  menetrier  chacun  est  danseur.  In  the  house 
of  the  fiddler  each  (or  every  one)  dances. 

LE   PLAISIR   d'aIMER.  LE   PLAISIR   DE   PCCHER. 

The  pleasure  of  to  love.  The  pleasure  of  to  fish. 


LKS    PfiCHEURS.  LE    PtCHEUR. 

The  sinners.  The  fisherman. 

Chacun  prend  son  plaisir  ou  il  le  trouve.     Each  one  takes  his 
pleasure  where  he  it  finds. 
Ni  Tun,  ni  I'autre.     Neither  one,  nor  the  other. 


44  Drurys  French  Grammar 

On  in  the  primitive  French  and  EngUsh-Norman  ori- 
ginally meant  one ;  in  the  present  day  it  means  one  and 
all ;  or,  they,  people,  rumour,  report :  on  dit,  they  say, 
people  say  ;  it  must  not  be  confounded  with  the  third  per- 
son plural  Us  or  elles  ;  on  est,  one  is,  they  are,  or  people  are. 
A  plural  Pronoun  attached  to  a  singular  Verb,  and  a 
singular  Pronoun  attached  to  a  plural  Verb.     As  : — 

Quand  ofi  est  marie  on  n'est  pas  toujours  heureux — When  one 
{they,  people)  is  married,  one  {they,  people)  is  not  always  happy.  On 
n'est  pas  heureux  lorsqu'(?«  s'aime  tendrement,  et  quVw  est  separe. 
People  (one  is  not)  are  not  happy  when  they  (one)  love  tenderly,  and 
that  they  (one  is)  are  separated.  On  peut  mepriser  le  monde,  mais 
on  ne  peut  pas  s'en  passer — lliey  (one)  may  despise  the  world,  but 
they  (one)  cannot  do  without  it.  (It  is  the  turning  of  the  French 
Active  Verb  into  the  English  Passive. ) 

Quiconque  aime  son  mari,  lui  est  attentive — Whoever  loves  her 
husband,  to  him  is  attentive.  J'ai  parle  a  qiielqu^ un-^\  have  spoken 
to  so77te  one.  lis  s'aiment  Vun  f autre — They  love  one  another. 
Rien  de  plus  eloquent  que  I'argent  comptant — Nothing  so  eloquent 
as  ready  money.  Rien  ne  pese  tant  qu'un  secret — Nothing  weighs 
so  much  as  a  secret. 


C/^d5<:MW  parle  comma 
il  I'entend,  each  one 
speaks  as  he  (or  she) 
thinks. 

Faire  la  querelle 
a  quelqu'un,  to  make 
the  quarrel  with  some- 
body. 

N'avoir  rien  en  pro- 
pre,  to  have  nothing  in 
proper,  or  to  have  no- 
thing of  one's  own. 


The  following  can  be  used  with  either  Nouns  or  Verbs ; 
if  with  the  former  they  are  Adjectives,  the  latter.  Pro- 
nouns. Auam,  none ;  autre,  another ;  certain,  some ; 
nul,  none  ;  le  meme,  the  same ;  pas  un,  not  one ;  plusieurs, 
many ;  tel,  such  ;  tout,  all,  every. 

Adjective,  aucun  homme,  no  man ;  Pronoun,  aucun  n'a 
repondu,  none  has  answered. 


i7i  an  A  imising  Point  of  View.  45 

L'amour  fait  beaucoup,  mais  I'argent  fait  tout.  (The)  love  does 
much,  but  (the)  money  does  all. 

Interrogatives  are  :  qui  ?  who  ?  de  qui  ?  of  whom  ? 
a  qui  ?  to  whom  ?  for  persons  only ;  for  persons  and 
things,  lequel  ?  laquelle  ?  lesquels  ?  lesquelles  ? 
which  ?  Qui  ?  who  ?  de  quoi  ?  of  what  1  a  quoi  ? 
/i?  what  2  Qui  m'amie  ?  who  me  loves  ?  Qu'est-ce  que  ? 
what  is  //^^/  ?  Qu'est-ce  qui  1  who  is  that  ?  (qu'est-ce,  is 
an  idiomatic  phrase). 

Qu'est-ce  que  Ton  met  sur  table,  que  Ton  coupe,  et  que  Ton  ne 
mange  jamais  ?  What  is  that  which  they  place  on  table,  which  they 
cut,  and  which  they  eat  never?    Answer. — Un  jeu  de  cartes. 

Qu'est-ce  quixend  toutes  les  femmes  egalement  jolies?  What  is 
that  which  renders  all  (the)  women  equally  pretty?  Answer. — 
L'obscurite. 

Qui  est'ce  qui  s'assied  sans  scrupule,  et  le  chapeau  sur  la  t6te, 
devant  un  prince,  un  roi,  et  meme  un  empereur  ?  Who  is  that  who 
sits  himself  without  scruple,  and  (the)  hat  on  (the)  head,  before  a 
prince,  a  king,  and  even  an  emperor?    Answer. — Un  cocher. 

Qu'est-ce  que  tous  les  hommes,  les  femmes,  et  les  enfants  font  en 
meme  temps  ?  What  is  that  which  all  (the)  men,  (the)  women,  and 
(the)  children  do  at  same  time?    Answer, — lis  vieillissent. 

Qu'est-ce  qui  se  laisse  bruler  pour  garder  un  secret  ?  What  is  that 
which  bums  itself  for  to  keep  a  secret  ?   Answer. — La  cire  ^  cacheter. 

Laquelle  de  ces  deux  dames  preferez-vous  ?  Which  of  these  two 
ladies  do  you  prefer  ? 

Qui  est-ce  qui  va  de  Londres  \  York  sans  bouger,  ni  faire  un  pas  ? 
What  is  that  which  goes  from  London  to  York  without  moving,  nor 
making  a  step  ?    Answer. — La  grande  route. 


Un  saint  a  PAnglaise,  a  salute  (according)  to  the  English  ;  or,  donner 
un  pied  de  nez,  to  give  a  foot  of  nose. 


46  Drurfs  Fre^ich  Grammar 


VERBS. 

A  Verb  denotes  action,  whether  in  body  or  mind.  It 
is  not  my  intention  to  enter  largely  into  the  matter  of 
Verbs,  because  there  is  a  little  work  published  by  Stan- 
fords,  at  the  small  price  of  u.,  which  fully  explains  them. 
I  think  every  student  should  possess  a  copy.  The  title 
is  "  French  Verbs  at  a  Glance."  I  will  merely  take  the 
leading  features,  showing  how  the  Auxiliary  Verbs  avoir 
and  etre  and  the  four  Regular  Verbs  ending  in  er,  ir, 
oir,  and  re,  are  conjugated ;  and  will  then  cursorily 
glance  through  the  Moods  and  Tenses  ;  but  will  particu- 
larly try  to  illustrate  the  differences  between  the  imper- 
fect past  and  the  perfect,  which  are  sometimes  difficult  to 
understand. 

Verbs  are  Auxiliary,  Active,  Passive,  Neuter,  and 
Reflective.  The  Auxiliaries  are  avoir^  to  have,  and  Hre^ 
to  be.  These  are  so  termed  because  they  are  necessary 
to  other  Verbs,  for  being  annexed  to  them  they  form 
what  are  known  as  Compound  Verbs.  Avoir  aimi, 
to  have  loved ;  itre  aime,  to  be  loved. 

A  Verb  Active  means  an  action  made  by  the  nomina- 
tive or  an  agent  towards  an  object ;  it  is  termed  active 
because  the  agent  is  active,  that  is,  makes  the  action  as 
expressed  by  the  aid  of  the  Verb :  Pembrasse  Marie,  I 
embrace  Mary ;  therefore  /  act  on  Mary  by  the  Verb 
embrace  {of  course,  she  should  be  a  special  Mary). 

A  Passive  Verb  is  contrary  to  the  Active,  in  that  it  ex- 
presses suffering,  feeling,  or  an  undergoing  of  something,  or 
bearing  the  effects  of  another's  actions  :  Marie  est  airnk  de 
moi,  Mary  is  loved  of  me  (the  beloved  one  feels  the  effect 
of  my  love  in  her  heart)  ;  or,  je  suis  embrasse  de  Marie,  or 
I  am  kissed  of  Mary;  it  requires  a  compound  of  the 
Verb  Hre  {a  very  pleasant  compound  it  is,  too). 

A  Neuter  Verb  is  akin  with  the  Active,  but  it  has  no 
direct  object,  i,e.,  the  Nominative  cannot  act  on  any 
one  nor  any  thing,  and  that  is  one  way  to  distinguish 
an  Active  Verb,  if  it  will  take  the  word  something  or 
somebody  after  it,  which  a  Neuter  Verb  cannot  do.    Verb 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View.  47 

Active,  /  love  something  or  some  one ;  Verb  Neuter,  / 
bounce^  I  lie,  we  cannot  say  "  I  bounce  something."  These 
sometimes  require  avoir  djidi  sometimes  Hre  in  conjuga- 
ting, generally  the  former  when  a  state  of  action  is 
understood. 

Reflective  or  Pronominal  Verbs  are  those  having  both 
their  agent  and  object  preceding  them,  in  the  shape  of  a 
double  Personal  Pronoun,  as  I  me,  thou  thee :  je 
m'aime,  /  7ne  love,  I  mean  to  say  that  "  /  love  my  self ^^ 
within  myself;  tu  /^aimes,  thou  thee  lovest,  thou  dost  love 
thyself.  It's  a  more  decided  manner  of  speaking  where 
the  subject  and  object  lay  within  the  individual  personal 
powers  of  the  party  speaking,  acting,  thinking,  or  referred 
to.  They  take  the  auxiliary  etre  (to  be)  where  we  in 
English  make  use  of  have,  as,yV  me  suis  alle,  I  me  atn  gone, 
instead  of  have  gone. 

Verbs  are  divided  into  five  Moods.  The  Infinitive  is 
the  Verb  itself,  as  seen  in  the  dictionary.  It  has  an  open 
vague  sort  of  meaning  :  aimer,  to  love ;  parler,  to  speak. 
The  Indicative  speaks  of  time,  present,  past,  and  future. 
The  Conditional  means  conditionally ;  as,  I  would  go  to 
France  if  I  knew  the  lingo.  The  Imperative  commands 
or  exhorts.  The  Subjunctive  shows  something  like 
begging,  subordination,  or  depending  on  somebody  or 
something,  and  requires  que  and  a  preceding  Verb. 

Indicative  present  denotes  present  action,  as 
f^aime,  I  love ;  Jefrappe,  I  strike.  The  past  shows  the 
itnperfect  ^^^st,  perfect  past,  and  a /«j/ before  another  past. 
The  Imperfect  is  so  called  because  the  action  was  not 
completed  ;  as,  fe  parlais,  I  spoke,  or  was  speaking  just 
as  you  entered.  The  perfect,  or  preterite,  speaks  of 
time  completely  elapsed,  as,  'SS.fut  Ik  I'annee  derni^re,  he 
was  there  last  year.  This  tense  is  much  used  in  history, 
indeed,  ilfut  {it  was)  is  ever  appearing  in  the  Memoirs 
of  Napoleon.  The  past  indefinite  means  completely 
or  not  completely  past,  and  is  a  compound  of  the  Verb 
avoir,  as,  fai  aii7ie,  I  have  loved,  but  it's  no  matter  to 
you  when  or  how  I  did  love ;  fai  dejd  parle,  I  have 
already  spoken  ;  fai  parle  hier,  I  have  spoken  yesterday. 
The  past  anterior,  or  a  past  before  another  past^  ex- 


48  Drury's  French  Grammar 

presses  an  action  having  taken  place  before  another 
action,  and  usually  takes  quand,  or  lorsque,  des  que,  aussitot 
que,  &c.,  as,  (^2ccvdifeusjini,  je  partis,  when  I  had  finished 
I  went  away.  It  requires  the  auxiliary  etre.  The  Plu- 
perfect expresses  as  not  only  past  in  itself,  but  also  in 
relation  to  another  equally  past,  as,  favais  fini  quand 
vous  entrdteSy  I  had  finished  when  you  entered. 

The  following  I  merely  inform  you  as  a  secret,  so  please  dott^t  repeat 
it  aloud  to  everybody. 

Present.  //  embrasse  Marie  derriere  la  porte.  He  kisses  Mary 
behind  the  door. 

Imperfect.  //  Vemhrassait  quand  vous  entrates.  He  did  or  was 
kisssing  her  when  you  entered. 

Preterite.  //  V embj-assa  la  derniere  fois  en  France.  He  her  em- 
braced the  last  time  in  France. 

Future.  //  V embrassera.  He  her  will  embrace  so  soon  as  they 
meet. 

Conditional.  IlVembrasserait.  He  her  would  embrace  if  he  could, 
or  had  the  chance. 

Subj.  present.  Qu^ U  V embrasse  pour  faire  la  paix.  That  he  her 
may  embrace  for  to  make  peace. 

Subj.  Imperfect.  Qu'il  embrass&t  Marie  avant  son  depart.  That 
he  might  embrace  Mary  before  her  departure. 

The  Verb  embrasser  is  such  a  very  nice  Active  Verb, 
and  the  most  active  of  all  Actives,  especially  about  Christ- 
mas time,  merry  Christmas. 

CONJUGATION    OF    THE  AUXILIARY   VERB    aVOir,    tO  haVC, 
AND   THE   COMPOUND   TENSES. 

1.  Indicative  Mood,  Present  Tense.  /  have, 
thou  hast,  he,  she,  or  //  has. 

J'ai,  tu  as,  il,  elle  a,  nous  avons,  vous  avez,  ils,  elles  ont. 

2.  Imperfect,  Past  Tense.  I  had,  was  having,  or 
used  to  have. 

J'avais,  tu  avais,  il  avait,  nous  avions,  vous  aviez,  ils  avaient. 

3.  Preterite  Definite,  or  Perfect  Past.    I  had. 
J'eus,  tu  eus,  il  eut,  nous  eumes,  vous  eutes,  ils  eurent. 

4.  Preterite  Indefinite,  or  Compound  Present. 
/  have  had. 

J'ai  eu,  tu  as  eu,  il  a  eu,  nous  avons  eu,  vous  avez  eu,  ils  ont  eu. 

5.  Pluperfect,  or  Compound  Imperfect.     I  had  had. 
J'avais  eu,  tu  avais  eu,  il  avait  eu,  nous  avions  eu,  vous  aviez  eu, 

ils  avaient  eu. 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View,  49 

6.  Past  Anterior,  or  Compound  Perfect.    I  had  had. 
J'eus  eu,  tu  eus  eu,  il  eut  eu,  nous  eumes  eu,  vous  eutes  eu,  ils 

eurent  eu. 

7.  Future  Simple.     I  shall  qx  will  have. 
J'aurai,  tu  auras,  il  aura,  nous  aurons,  vous  aurez,  ils  auront. 

8.  Future  Anterior,  or  Compound  Future.    1  shall 
have  had. 

J'aurai  eu,  tu  auras  eu,  il  aura  eu,  nous  aurons  eu,  vous  aurez  eu, 
ils  auront  eu. 

9.  Conditional  Mood,  Present  Tense.  I  should, 
could,  or  would  have. 

J'aurais,  tu  aurais,  il  aurait,  nous  aurions,  vous  auriez,  ils  auraient. 

10.  Conditional  Past,  or  Compound  Conditional. 
/  should  have  had. 

J'aurais  eu,  tu  aurais  eu,  il  aurait  eu,  nous  aurions  eu,  vous  auriez 
cu,  ils  auraient  eu. 

11.  Imperative. 

Aie,  have  {thou);  ayons,  let  us  have;  ayez,  have  you. 

12.  Subjunctive  Present.     That  I  may  have. 

Que  j'aie,  que  tu  aies,  qu'il  ait,  que  nous  ayons,  que  vous  ayez, 
qu'ils  aient. 

13.  Subjunctive  Imperfect.     That  I  might  have. 
Que  j'eusse,  que  tu  eusses,  qu'il  eut,  que  nous  eussions,  que  vous 

eussiez,  qu'ils  eussent. 

14.  Subjunctive  Past.    That  I  may  have  had  {com- 
pound). 

Que  j'aie  eu,  que  tu  aies  cu,  qu'il  ait  eu,  que  nous  ayons  eu,  que 
vous  ayez  eu,  qu  ils  aient  eu. 

15.  Subjunctive  Pluperfect.     Tliat  I  might  have 
had. 

Que  j'eusse  eu,  que  tu  eusses  eu,  qu'il  eflt  eu,  que  nous  eussions  eu, 
que  vous  eussiez  eu,  qu'ils  eussent  eu. 

16.  Infinitive    Present,   Avoir,  to  have.     Past, 
avoir  eu,  to  have  had. 

17.  Present  Participle,  Ayant,  having. 

18.  Past  Participle,  Eu,  Jmd.    Ayant  eu,  having 
had. 


CONJUGATION   OF  THE   VERB   Ctre,   to  be,   SIMPLE   AND 
COMPOUND   TENSES. 

I.  Indicative  Mood,  Present  Tense.    lam,  thou 
art,  he  or  she  is,  &c. 
Je  suis,  tu  es,  il,  elle  est,  nous  sommes,  vous  etes,  ils,  elles  sent, 
D 


50  Drurys  French  Grammar 

2.  Imperfect,  Past  Tense.    I  was,  or  used  to  he. 

J'etais,  tu  etais,  il  etait,  nous  etions,  vous  etiez,  ils  etaient. 

3.  Preterite  Definite,  or  Perfect  Past.     I  was. 
Je  fus,  tu  fus,  il  fut,  nous  fumes,  vous  futes,  ils  furent. 

4.  Preterite  Indefinite,  or  Compound  Present.    I 
have  been. 

J'ai  ete,  tu  as  ete,  il  a  ete,  nous  avons  ete,  vous  avez  ete,  ils  ont  ete. 
,      5.  Pluperfect,  or  Compound  Imperfect.    I  had  been. 
T'avais  ete,  tu  avals  ete,  il  avait  ete,  nous  avions  ete,  vous  aviez 
ete,  ils  avaient  ete. 

6.  Past    Anterior,  or  Compound  Perfect.     /  had 
been,  takes  quand,  &c. 

J'eus  ete,  tu  eus  ete,  il  eut  ete,  nous  eiimes  ete,  vous  eutes  ete,  ils 
eurent  ete. 

7.  Future  Simple.     I  shall  or  will  be. 

Je  serai,  tu  seras,  il  sera,  nous  serons,  vous  serez,  ils  seront. 

8.  Future  Anterior,  or  Compound  Future.    I  shall 
have  been. 

T'aurai  ete,  tu  auras  ete,  il  aura  ete,  nous  aurons  ete,  vous  aurez 
ete,  ils  auront  ete. 

9.  Conditional  Mood,  Present  Tense.   I  should, 
could,  or  would  be. 

Je  serais,  tu  serais,  il  serait,  nous  serions,  vous  seriez,  ils  seraient. 

10.  Conditional  Past,  or  Compound  Conditional 

I  should  have  been. 

J'aurais  ete,  tu  aurais  ete,  il  aurait  ete,  nous  aurions  ete,  vous 
auriez  ete,  ils  auraient  ete. 

11.  Imperative. 

Sois,  be  [thou);  soyons,  let  us  be ;  soyez,  be  ye,  ox  you, 

12.  Subjunctive  Present.     That  I  may  be. 

Que  je  sois,  que  tu  sois,  qu'il  soit,  que  nous  soyons,  que  vous 
soyez,  qu'ils  soient. 

13.  Subjunctive  Imperfect.     That  1  might  be. 

Que  je  fusse,  que  tu  fusses,  qu'il  fut,  que  nous  fussions,  que  vous 
fussiez,  qu'ils  fussent. 

14.  Subjunctive  Past.     That  I  may  have  been. 
Que  j'aie  ete,  que  tu  aies  ete,  qu'il  ait  ete,  que  nous  ayons  ete,  que 

vous  ayez  ete,  qu'ils  aient  ete. 

15.  Subjunctive  Pluperfect.     That  I  might  have 
been. 

Que  j'eusse  ete,  que  tu  eusses  ete,  qu'il  eut  ete,  que  nous  eussions 
ete,  que  vous  eussiez  ete,  qu'ils  eussent  ete. 

16.  Infinitive  Present,  Etre, /^  be.     Past,  avoir 

ete,  to  have  been. 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View,  5 1 

17.  Present  Participle,  Etant,  being. 

18.  Participle  Past,  Ete,  been.  Ay  ant  ete, 
having  been. 

In  familiar  everyday  conversation  and  in  letter  writing 
the  preterite  indefinite  is  used ;  as,  J^ai  He  malade  toute 
la  semaine.  I  have  been  ill  all  the  week.  J'ai  eii  pour  prin- 
cipe  de  ne  jamais  faire  faire  par  autrui  ce  que  je  pouvais 
faire  par  moi-meme.  /  have  had  for  principle  of  never  to 
make  to  do  by  others  that  which  I  could  do  by  myself. 

The  preterite  definite,  or  perfect  past^  is  an  historical 
term;  as,  Napoleon  embrassa  Josephine  k  son  depart. 
Napoleon  did  or  embraced  Josephine  at  his  departure. 

L'edition  de  Shakespeare  publi^e  Tannee  derni^re  a 
ete  bien  accueillie  par  le  public,  tandis  que  la  premiere 
edition  de  I'annee  1623  ne  \Qfut pas,  parce  qu'elle  n'etait 
pas  assez  connue.  The  edition  of  Shakespeare  published 
last  year  has  been  well  received  by  the  public,  whilst  the 
first  edition  of  the  year  1623  was  not^  because  x//^  was  not 
sufficiently  known. 

THE   FOUR  REGULAR  CONJUGATIONS   IN 
er,  ir,  oir,  "Ve,  aimer,  finir,  recevoir,  vendre. 

INDICATIVE   MOOD. 

Present  Tense.     I  love,  I  finish,  I  receive^  I  sell. 
J'aimf,  tu  aim^i",  il,  elle  aim^  /  nous  ziimonSy  vous  aim^2, 

ils,  elles  Biment. 
Je  finis,  tu  finis,  il,  elle  fin//;  nous  finissons,  vous  finisses,. 

ils,  elles  finissent. 
Je  Teqois,  tu  reqois,  il,  elle  rtqoit ;  nous  xtcevonsy  vous 

recevez,  ils,  elles  reqoivent. 
Je  vendx,  tu  vendj-,  il,  elle  vend;   vous  yendonsy  vous 

vend^s^,  ils,  elles  vendent. 
Imperfect  (Past.)    I  did  love  or  was  loving^  finishings 
receiving,  selling  (lately). 
YdCivnais,  tu  aim^/j,  il  zxmait;  nous  2^XQ.ions,  vous  aimiez, 

ils  aimaient. 
Je  finissais,  tu  finissais,  il  finissait;  nous  finissions,  vous 

finissiez,  ils  finissaient. 
Je  recevais,  tu  itcevais,  il  iQcevait;.  nous  itcevionsy  vous 

leceviezj  ils  xtcevaient,. 


52        '  Drurfs  French  Grammar 

Je  vendfl/j,  tu  vend^/j-,  il  vend^zV/  nous  v^xAionsy  vous 
vend/<?2^,  ils  wtndaient 

Preterite  Definite  (or  a  Perfect  Past.)     I  did 
love,  finish,  receive,  sell  (a  long  time  ago). 
J'aim^/,  tu  aim^j-,  il  aim^;  nous  dXmdmeSy  vous  aimdfesy  ils 

SiimerenL 
Je  finis,  tu  fin?>,  il  fin///  nous  fintmes,  vous  finttesy  ils 

fin/;r7?/. 
Je  requs,  tu  regz/j-,  il  re<;uf;  nous  leqiimeSy  vous  reciiteSy 

ils  requrenL 
Je  vend/i-,  tu  vend/j",  il  vend//;   nous  vendzw^^,  vous 

vendz/^,  ils  \endirenL 

Future.     I  shall  or  will  love,  finish,  receive,  sell. 
J'aim^r<a!/,   tu  aimeras,  il  aim^r^y    nous  Siimerons,  vous 

Siimerez,  ils  aim^r<?^/. 
Je  finiraiy  tu  fin/r^j,  il  fin/r^  /  nous  ^nironsy  vous  fin/r^^r, 

ils  fimront. 
Je  XQcevraiy  tu  recevras,  il  ie.cev7'a;  nous  iQcevronSy  vous 

recevrez,  ils  lecevronf. 
Je  vendnz/,  tu  vendr^^,  il  vendr^;  nous  vendn?//^,  vous 

vendr^^r,  ils  vendront. 

Conditional.     I  would,  could,  or  should  love,  finish, 
receive,  or  sell  (if  I). 
J'sLimerais,  tu  B.imerais,  il  aim^rdt///  nous  SLimerionSy  vous 

aim(?r/<?2:,  ils  Siimerazent 
Je  fin/r^/j-,  tu   fmirais,   il  fvmrait;   nous  finmonSy  vous 

fin/n>2:,  ils  Unirat'enf. 
Je  recevrais,  tu  recevrais,  il  xQcevrait ;  nous  TQcez>rwnSy 

vous  recevn'eZy  ils  recevraient. 
Je  vendr^/i",  tu  vendr^^/i",  il  vendr^///  nous  vendr/i?«j, 

vous  vendr/^^r,  ils  vendraient. 


IMPERATIVE. 

Love  thouy 

&c. 

Z^/  ?^i"  /9W,  &C. 

Z^^  (you,  &c.). 

aim^, 
fin/>, 

aim^/zi-, 
finwj-^;2x, 

Siimez. 
finissez. 

re9^/j, 
vendi", 

rec^^'^^zi', 
vend^;2j, 

lecevez. 
vend^^:. 

in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View,  53 

SUBJUNCTIVE   MOOD. 

Present  Tense.     That  I  may  love^  &*€. 
Que  j'aim^,  que  tu  aim^^,  qu'il  aim^/  que  nous  dXratons^ 

que  vous  sdmiez,  qu'ils  a-iment. 
Que  je  fim'sse,  que   tu  finisseSy  qu'il  finisse;  que  nous 

finissions,  que  vous  finissiez,  qu'ils  finissent. 
Que  je  reqoiz'e,  que  tu  reqoivesy  qu'il  reqoive;  que  nous 

recem'ons,  que  vous  leceviezy  qu'ils  reqoivent. 
Que  je  vend^,  que  tu  vend^^,  qu'il   vend^;    que  nous 

vend/i?/^j-,  que  vous  vend/^^r,  qu'ils  vend^«/. 

I  m  p  e rf e ct .     T/iat  I  might  love,  &=€. 
Que  j'aim^j-i-^,  que  tu  2.\masses,  qu'il  zimdt;  que  nous 

2i\m.assionSy  que  vous  dimassiezy  qu'ils  aim^^-^^/. 
Que  je   finissey  que   tu   fin/i-^^j,    qu'il   fin///    que  nous 

finissions,  que  vous  fin/i-j/^^r,  qu'ils  hnissent. 
Que  je  requssey  que  tu  itqussesy  qu'il  requt;  que  nous 

lequssionsy  que  vous  XQc^ussieZy  qu'ils  requssent. 
Que  je  vend/i-j-^,  que  tu  vend/>^^x,  qu'il  vend//;  que  nous 

vend/>«<?^  que  vous  vend^j^V^r,  qu'ils  vendissent. 

INFINITIVE  MOOD. 

Present. 
aimer,  to  love.  finir,  to  finish. 

recevoir,  to  receive.  vendre,  to  sell. 

Past. 
avoir  aim*^,  to  have  loved.        avoir  fin/,  to  have  finished. 
avoir  re92^,  to  have  received,    avoir  vend«,  to  have  sold. 

PRESENT  PARTICIPLE. 

oXmanty  loving.  ^nissanty  finishing. 

Ttcevanty  receiving.  vendanty  selling. 

PAST  PARTICIPLE. 

aimi,  loved.  fini,  finished. 

TCf^Uy  received.  vend?/,  sold. 

The  order  of  Moods  and  Tenses : — i.  Present.  2.  Im- 
perfect. 3.  Preterite  Definite.  4.  Preterite  Indefinite. 
5.  Pluperfect.  6.  Past  Anterior.  7.  Future  Simple. 
8.  Future  Anterior.  9.  Conditional  Present  10.  Con- 
ditional Past.  II.  Imperative.  12.  Subjunctive  Present. 
13.  Subjunctive  Imperfect.     14.  Subjunctive  Past.     15. 


54 


Drurys  French  Grammar 


Subjunctive  Pluperfect.     1 6.  Infinitive.     The  student  wiH 
notice  the  small  figures  over  the  verbs  which  refer  to  this. 


Quand  \ytais  (2)  h.  Paris,  I'annee 
derniere,  il  rsx^arriva  (3)  de  passer 
{16)  devant  un  restaurant,  lorsqu'une 
femme  portant  (16)  un  baquet  d'eau 
sale,le  vida  (3)  sur  mon  pantalon  que 
je  portals  (2)  pour  la  premiere  fois. 
When  I  was  at  Paris,  the  year  last, 
it  me  happened  to  pass  before  a  res- 
taurant, when  a  woman  carrying  a 
basin  of  water  dirty,  it  emptied  on 
my  trowsers,  which  I  wore  for  the 
first  time. 


Une  nouvelle  mariee  paraissant  (16)  reveuse  le  jour  de  ses  noces, 
quelqu'un  lui  demanda  (3)  le  sujet  de  ses  graves  reflexions;  "je 
cherche,"  (i)  dit-elle,  "  quel  serait  (9)  celui  c\\x&fepouserais  (9)  si  je 
dcvenais  (2)  veuve."  A  newly  married  bride  appearing  thoughtful  the 
day  of  her  wedding,  someone  her  asked  the  subject  of  her  grave  re- 
flections ;  "I  seek,^^  said  she,  "who  would  be  he  who  I  should 
marry  \i  I  becajne  widow." 

Marie,  comme  tu  es  gentille  aujourd'hui.  Mary,  how  thou  art 
pretty  to-day.  Mais  pourquoi  es-tu  (i)  done  si  triste  et  si  abattue, 
ma  chere  ?     But  why  art  thou  so  sad  and  so  cast  down,  my  dear  ? 

Un  cofifre  sans  serrure  montre  (i)  qu'il  ne  renferme  {\)  point  de 
tresor;  une  bouche  toujours  ouverte  annonce  (i)  un  cerveau  vide. — A 
box  without  lock  shoivs  that  it  does  not  contain  any  treasure  ;  a 
mouth  always  open  announces  an  empty  brain. 

La  beaute  sans  esprit  est  {i)  un  hame9on  qui  attire  (i)  les  coeurs, 
mais  qui  ne  les  retient  (i)  pas.  (The)  beauty  without  mind  is  a  bait 
which  draws  the  hearts,  but  which  them  holds  not. 


E.J:D. 


Le  chat  jouait  (2)  avec 
mes  boucles,  et  il  m'enleva  {3) 
ma  perruque  au  moment  ou 
Monsieur  Charles  me  fai- 
sail  (2)  sa  declaration.  The 
cat  played  with  my  curls, 
and  he  me  pulled  off  my  wig 
at  the  moment  when  Mr. 
Charles  me  made  his  decla- 
ration of  love.  Cela  me  ft 
dresser  les  cheveux  sur  la  tete, 
that  me  made  to  stand  on  end 
the  hairs  (made  my  hairs 
stand  on  end). 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View.  55 

II  en  est  {i)  d'un  homme  qui  aime  (i\  comme  d'un  moineau  pris 
a  la  glu,  plus  il  se  debat  (i),  plus  il  s^embarrasse  (l).  It  is  of  a  man 
who  loves,  like  a  sparrow  taken  by  lime,  more  he  strives  himself,  the 
more  he  embarrasses  himself. 

II  m'a7>//(4)  le  chat  aux  jambes.  He  me  has  thrown  the  cat  at 
the  legs,  meaning,  he  has  perplexed  me. 

Se  laisser  (i6)  mouvoir  (i6)  aux  pieurs  d'une  femme.  To  let  oneself 
to  yield  to  the  tears  of  a  woman. 

Mes  pieds  nagent  (i)  dans  mes  souliers.  My  feet  they  swim  in  my 
shoes  (too  big). 

Nager  (i6)  dans  les  biens.     To  sivim  in  (the^  goods  (roll  in  riches). 

La  veritable  eloquence  consiste  (i)  a  dire  (i6)  tout  ce  o^W  faut  (i), 
at  a  ne  dire {16)  que  ce  ^yLxXfatit  (i).  The  true  eloquence  consists  to 
say  all  which  is  necessary,  and  only  to  say  that  which  is  necessary. 

Y  a  (i)-t-il  rien  de  si  beau  que  la  vertu?  Is  there  anything  so 
good  as  (the)  virtue  ? 

II  ne  faut  pas  se  venger  d'une  femme, 
son  chatiment  n'est  point  un  titre  d'hon- 
neur,  et  une  pareille  victoire  n'a  rien  de 
glorieux.  Le  meilleur  parti  k  pre7idre 
lorsqu'on  est  frappe  par  la  main  d'une 
belle,  Q!est  de  saisir  cette  main  et  de  la 
baiser.  One  inust  not  revenge  oneself  on  ^ 
a  woman  ;  her  chastisement  is  not  a  matter  of  honour, 
and  a  such  victory  has  nothing  of  glorious.  The  best 
plan  to  take  when  one  is  struck  by  the  hand  of  a  beauty, 
this  is  to  lay  hold  of  this  hand  and  of  it  to  kiss. 


PAPILLONNANT. 

Butterflying. 


Refemng  to  2ipast  occurrence  or  preterite  definite, 


56  Drurys  French  Grammar 

je  me  levai  et  tnarchai  ^z.n's,  la  chambre,  les  larmes  coul^rent 
de  mes  yeux ;  elle  me  tendit  sa  main  que  je  baisai.  I  me 
rose  up  and  walked  in  the  room,  the  Xtdx?,  flowed  from  my 
eyes ;  she  me  did  or  tendei'ed  her  hand,  which  I  kissed. 
yallai  la  voir  le  lendemain,  et  je  la  trouvai  k  son  piano. 
I  went  her  to  see  on  the  morrow,  and  I  her  found  at  her 
piano.  Quoi !  ^/Aelle,  je  vous  perds  ?  What !  said  she, 
I  you  lose  ?  Je  ne  puis  aimer  que  vous.  I  can  not  love 
but  you.  Vous  partez  !  e'en  est  fait  pour  toujours?  You 
depart !  is  it  to  be  done  for  always  ? 


Extracts  from  Scripture  of  the  Verbs. 

Indicative  Present. 

O  Eternel !  je  suis afflige^  (i)  Qtj'eleve  (i)  mon  amevers 

toi.     Tu  es  {i)  bon,  ety>  suis  (i)  de  ceux  que  tu  atones  (i). 

Oh  Lord  !   /  am  afflicted,  and  /  raise  my  soul  towards 

thee.    Thou  art  good,  and  /  am  of  those  whom  thou  lovest. 

Imperfect  and  Preterite  Tenses. 
J^sus  entra  (3)  une  autre  fois  dans  la  synagogue,  et  il 
y  avait  (2)  Ik  un  homme  qui  avait  (2)  une  main  s^che. 
Jesus  entered  another  time  into  the  synagogue,  and  there 
was  there  a  man  who  had  a  hand  withered.  Alors  il 
dit  (3)  k  cet  homme,  etends  ta  main,  et  il  Vetendit  (3), 
et  sa  main  devint  (3)  saine  comme  I'autre.  Then  he  said 
to  this  man,  extend  thy  hand,  and  he  it  extended^  and  his 
hand  became  right  as  the  other. 

Indicative. 
Quand  ce  jour  Ik,  qui  etait  (2)  le  premier  de  la  semaine, 
fut  (6)  venu,  Jesus  vint  (3),  t\.fut  (3)  Ik,  au  milieu  d'eux. 
When  that  day  there,  which  was  the  first  of  the  week,  was 
come,  Jesus  came  and  was  there,  in  the  midst  of  them. 
Etait  (was)  speaks  of  the  past  as  if  present,  relating  to 
something  else  quite  past ;  it  is  an  imperfect  past.  Vint,  fut 
{cai7ie  and  was)  mean,  thoroughly  past  at  the  time  of  which 
we  are  speaking.  Et  quand  il  eut  dit  (6)  cela,  il  souffla 
(3)  sur  eux.  And  when  he  had  said  that,  he  breathed  on 
them.  Eut  dit,  past  anterior,  is  a  past  before  another 
past,  and  souffla  is  of  the  preterite  o\  perfect  past 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View,  57 

Future. 

Le  soir,  le  matin,  le  midi,  je  parlerai  et  je  crierai  \ 
Dieu,  et  il  entendra  ma  voix.  The  eve,  the  morning, 
the  midday,  I  will  speak  and  I  will  cry  to  God,  and  he 
will  hear  my  voice. 

Conditional. 

J'ai  dit,  O  qui  me  donnerait  des  ailes  de  colombe  !  I 
have  said,  O  who  me  would  give  wings  of  dove !  Je 
xcHenvolerais,  I  would  {yi\€)fly  away ;  et  je  m^  poserais  en 
quelque  lieu,  and  I  would  (me)  place  myself  in  some  spot. 
Je  me  hater ais  de  me  sauver  de  ce  vent.  I  (me)  would 
hasten  to  (me)  save  myself  from  this  wind.  I  would  fly 
away  "  conditionally,"  if  I  had  wings. 

Imperative. 

Imperative  exhorts.  O  Etemel  et  Dieu  puissant,  garde- 
moi  comme  la  prunelle  de  I'oeil,  et  couvre-moi  sous  I'ombre 
de  tes  ailes.  O  Eternal  and  God  mighty,  guard  me  as  the 
pupil  of  the  eye,  and  cover  me  under  the  shadow  of  thy 
wings. 

Subjunctive  Present. 

lis  lui  dirent.  Qui  es-tu  done  ?  afin  que  nous  rendions 
reponse  k  ceux  qui  nous  ont  envoyes.  They  to  him  said, 
Who  art  thou  ?  in  order  that  we  may  render  answer  to 
those  who  us  have  sent. 

Subju?ictive  Imperfect. 
11  rendit  graces,  et  rompit  les  pains,  et  il  les  donna  k 
ses  disciples,  afin  quHls  les  missent  devant  eux.     He  ren- 
dered thanks,  and  he  brake  the  bread,  and  he  it  gave  to 
his  disciples,  so  that  they  it  might  place  before  them. 

The  Verb  must  agree  with  its  nominative  or  agent  in 
Gender  and  Number,  as  : 

Les  faux  amis  sont  des  oiseaux  de  passage,  qui  vitnnent  ^  la  belle 
saison  et  s'en  vont  k  la  mauvaise.  (The)  false  friends  {they)  are  birds 
of  passage,  who  {fhey)  come  at  the  fine  weather  and  {they)  go  them- 
selves away  at  the  bad. 

Speaking  of  "  friends,"  the  nominative  is  of  the  third 
person  plural,  therefore  the  verb  will  be  the  same.  Had 
it  referred  to  a  single  friend  the  verb  would  have  been  of 
the  third  person  singular. 


58  Driirys  French  Grammar 

Impersonal  Verbs  and  Idiomatical  Verbs  used  im- 
personally have  only  a  third  person  singular,  although  they 
may  have  plural  significations.  Pleuvoir,  to  rain ;  ilpleut, 
it  rains;  il pleuvait,  it  was  raining;  tl pint,  it  rained;  // 
pleiivra,  it  will  rain ;  il  pleuvrait,  it  would  rain ;  qti'llpleuve^ 
that  it  may  rain ;  quHl plut,  that  it  might  rain ;  //  a  plu,  it 
has  rained ;  //  avail plu,  it  had  rained  ;  tl  ml  plu,  it  had 
rained ;  //  aura  plit,  it  will  have  rained ;  //  aurait  plu,  it 
would  have  rained ;  quHlait plu,  that  it  may  have  rained ; 
qu^il  eut plu,  that  it  might  have  rained. 

Falloir,  to  be  necessary;  il  faut,  it  is  necessary;  // 
fallait,  it  was  necessary ;  il  fallut,  it  was  necessary ;  // 
faudra,  it  will  be  necessary ;  //  faudrait,  it  would  be  ne- 
cessary ;  quHl  faille,  that  it  may  be  necessary ;  qu'il  fallut, 
that  it  might  be  necessary. 

Faire,  to  do,  to  make,  is  constantly  being  used  imper- 
sonally with  temps  :  il  fait  beau  temps,  it  makes  (or  is) 
fine  weather ;  ilfaisait,  it  was  fine  or  bad  weather ;  tl  fit, 
it  was ;  ilfera  beau,  it  will  be  fine,  &c. 

Y  avoir,  there  to  be ;  y  ay  ant,  there  being ;  il  y  a,  there 
is ;  il  y  avail,  there  was ;  //  y  eut,  there  was ;  //  y  aura, 
there  will  be;  il  y  aurait,  there  would  be;  qu'il  y  ait,  that 
there  may  be;  qu'il y  eiU,  that  there  might  be.  Ya-t-il? 
is  there?  y  avait-il?  was  there?  y  eut-il?  was  there?  y 
aura-t-il?  will  there  be?  j  aurait-ill  would  there  be? 
This  verb  is  most  idiomatic,  because  avoir  of  itself  means 
to  have,  and  not  "  to  be,"  as  it  does  here.  //  y  avail  un 
homme,  there  was  once  a  man,  or  //  there  had  a  man. 


ADVERBS. 

Adverbs  qualify  Verbs,  Adjectives,  or  other  Adverbs ; 
they  are  not  declinable  :  In  simple  tenses  they  follow  the 
Verb,  as,  il  parle  Men  ;  he  speaks  well ;^  but  in  compound 
tenses  they  follow  the  Auxiliaries,  as,  il  a  bien  parle ;  he 
has  well  spoken.  They  may  be  divided  into  seven  classes. 
I  St.  Of  Affirmation,  Doubt  and  Negation :  Assure- 
ment,  assuredly ;  aucunement^  by  no  means ;  certainement. 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View.  59 

certainly ;  certes,  certainly,  indeed ;  en  verite,  indeed, 
truly;  ne,  ne pas,  ne point,  not;  probableinent,  very  likely; 
sans  doute,  without  doubt ;  ni,  nor ;  non,  no ;  nidlement,  by 
no  means;  out,  yts ] petit-etre,  perhaps;  j"/, yes;  volontiers, 
willingly ;  vrahnent,  truly,  indeed.  JSfe  by  itself  is  the 
mildest  form  of  negation,  ne  pas  is  stronger,  and  ne  point  is 
the  strongest  of  all :  used  with  verbs,  ne  precedes  and 
pas  ox  point  follows  the  verbs. 

Je  w'ai  pas  d'argent,  I  have  no  money,  means,  short  of  money. 
Je  «'ai  point  d'argent,  means,  not  any  whatever,  therefore  ne  point  is 
the  strongest  negation. 

AY  /'or,  ni  la  grandeur  ne  nous  rendent  heureux.  Neither  (the) 
gold  nor  (the)  greatness  not  us  renders  happy. 

Ne  plus  (no  more,  or  any  more)  je  «'ai  //mj  d'argent.  I  no  have 
more  money.     Ne  riett,  not  anything,  nothing. 

2nd.  Of  Comparison  :  Aussi,  as,  also ;  autant,  as  much 
as ;  au  moins,  at  least ;  Men,  good ;  comme,  as,  like ;  da- 
vantage,  more ;  de  meme,  so ;  de  moins,  at  least ;  de  plus, 
moreover;  ^;2^<?/r, still,  again;  entierement,  entirely;  environ^ 
about ;  fort,  very ;  mieux,  better ;  moins,  less  ;  nea?tmoifis, 
nevertheless ;  pis,  worse ;  plus,  more ;  plutot,  rather ;  si, 
so,  so  very ;  surtout,  especially,  above  all ;  tant,  so  much ; 
ta7it  soit  peu,  ever  so  little ;  trh,  very ;  trop,  too  much ; 
irop peu,  too  little;  unpen,  a  little. 

Plus  and  davantage,  both  indicate  superiority ;  plus  usually 
requires  the  conjunction  que,  or  the  preposition  de,  preceding  a  com- 
plement, but  davantage  does  not.  Charles  ^  plus  de  pain  que  Jacques, 
mais  Jacques  en  aura  davantage.  Plus  also  takes  de  when  quantity 
is  meant  (not  que)  :  ce  pain  coute  plus  de  deux  sous  ;  but  it  requires 
que  and  not  de  when  comparison  is  intended  :  Charles  est  plus  grand 
que  Pierre. 

Si  and  Aussi.  .SV  in  comparison  is  only  used  in  negative  phrases. 
Aussi  is  placed  in  the  negative  and  affirrnative.  Charles  n'est  pas  si 
or  aussi  grand  que  Pierre,  mais  il  est  aussi  (not  si)  grand  que  Jacques. 

3rd.  Of  Interrogation  :  Combien  ?  How  much  or  many? 
Comment "i  How?  Depuis  quandl  How  long?  D'oii? 
Whence?  Oii^  Where?  Fourquoi'i  Why?  Quandl 
When? 

Combien  de  cotes  a  un  pate  parfaitement  rond  ?  How  many  sides 
has  a  tart  perfectly  round  ? — Answer,  Deux  cotes,  le  dessus  et  le 
dessous. 


6o  Drurfs  French  Grammar 

Pourqtwi  va-t-on  au  lit?  Why  go  people  to  bed? — Answer. 
Parce  que  le  lit  ne  vient  pas  a  nous. 

Pourquoi  achete-t-on  des  souliers  neufs  ?  Why  purchase  people 
shoes  new  ? — Answer.  Parce  qu'on  ne  les  donne  pas  pour  rien. 

4th.  Of  Manner,  Order,  Place :  Ailleurs^  elsewhere 
alentour^  around ;  a  lafots,  at  once ;  d  droite,  on  the  right 
d  gauche^  on  the  left ;  aprh^  after ;  aupres,  near ;  autour^ 
near  about,  around ;  avant^  before ;  ceans^  here,  within 
fi  et  Idj   here  and  there ;  a,  here ;  ci-aprh^  hereafter 
(Vaillmrs^  besides;  de^a^    on  this  side;   dedans^  within 
dehors^  without ;  deld,^  there,  on  that  side ;  derriere,  behind 
dessous,  under;  dessus,  above;  devant,  before,  in  front 
d'kij    hence ;   d^oii^   whence ;   en    bas,    below ;   en   haut^ 
above ;  ensemble,  together ;  environ,  here,  about ;  zct,  here 
id  bas,  here  below ;  ici prh,  near  here  ;  jusque-ld,  so  far 
jusqu'oii'i  how  far?  /i,  there;  Ih-bas,  yonder;  Id-dedans, 
within;  Id-haut,  above;  loin,  far;  pele-mele,  confusedly 
oil,  where ;  par  id,  this  way ;  par  oil  ?  which  way  ?  partout^ 
everywhere ;  prh,  proche,  near ;  separement,  separately 
y,  there,  here  (also  to  her,  to  it,  to  them  ;  it  has  an  exten 
sive  use  with  the  preposition  en.     II  y  a,  there  is,  or  are 
vous  y  etes,  you  there  are,  or  you  are  right,  or  have  hit 
the  mark).     Je  suis  d'id,  I  dim  from  he?'e  (or  born  here). 

Adverbs  relating  to  a  preceding  phrase  or  of  interro- 
gation may  commence  a  sentence  :  D'oic  vient-il  ?  Whence 
comes  he  ?  Certaine7iie7it  cet  homrae  est  fou,  certainly  that 
man  is  mad. 

5th.  Of  Time :  A  lafois,  at  once ;  alors,  then ;  andenne- 
meni,  formerly  ;  aujourd'hui,  to-day ;  auparavant,  before ; 
aussitot,  as  soon  as;  autrefois,  formerly;  biefitot,  soon; 
cependant,  meanwhile ;  d'ejd,  already ;  demain,  to-morrow ; 
depuis, smcQ;  ^^^^r;;^^^^, henceforward;  dernierement,\2X^y\ 
^^ j?///^, immediately ;  dorenavant,  henceforth;  encore,  yet; 
enfin,\n^o\\.\  ^;2i'z///(?, afterwards;  ^/Vr, yesterday;  inconti- 
nent, immediately ;  fadis,  of  old  \  jamais,  ever ;  lors,  then ; 
maintenant,  now ;  naguere,  formerly ;  parfois,  at  times  ; 
plutot,  sooner ;  puis,  then ;  quand,  when  ;  quelquefois, 
sometimes ;  rarement,  seldom ;  souvent,  often ;  tantot, 
sometimes;  tard,  late;  idt^  soon;  toujours^  always;  vite^ 
quickly. 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View.  6 1 

Jamais  {ever)  with  ne  is  used  as  never.  Un  mechant  ne  sait 
jamais  pardonner.  A  wicked  one  not  knows  ever  to  pardon  {never 
knoavs). 

II  faut  battre  le  fer  quand  il  est  chaud.  One  must  beat  the  iron 
when  it  is  hot. 

6th.  Of  Quality :  Ainsi^  thus ;  bien^  well ;  comment^ 
how ;  exprh,  on  purpose ;  mat,  badly ;  meme^  even ;  no- 
tamment^  especially;  partant^  therefore;  pourtant,  never- 
theless; toutefois^  however. 

7th.  Of  Quantity:  Assez,  enough;  au/ant,  so  much; 
beaucoup^  much,  many ;  bien^  much,  many ;  cojnbien^  how 
much,  how  many ;  davantage,  more ;  environ,  about ; 
guhre,  but  little,  not  much ;  mains,  less ;  pen,  little,  few ; 
plus,  more ;  que,  how  much,  how  many ;  tant,  so  much, 
so  many ;  trop,  too  much,  too  many. 

Beaucoup  de,  and  bien  du,  de  la,  des,  express  quantity,  but 
bten  an  idea  of  surprise.  II  y  a  ici  beaucoup  de  monde  ;  il  y  a  ici 
bien  du  monde ;  vous  avez  bien  de  la  presomption  pour  votre  age. 
Beaucoup  is  never  followed  by  an  Article,  but  bien  is,  excepting  with 
autres,  say,  bien  d'autres. 

II  a  assez  de  pain — He  has  enough  of  bread.  Beaucoup  de  gens  I'ont 
vu — Many  of  people  it  have  seen. 

Jean  a  re9u  peu  de  pommes  de  sa  soeur  Marie — ^John  has  received 
few  of  apples  from  his  sister  Mary. 

Remark  that  after  Adverbs  of  quantity  the  Article  is  not  used^  but 
de,  preposition  ;  therefore  not  peu  des  pommes,  but  peu  de  pommes. 

Adverbs  are  made  also  from  the  feminine  of  Adjectives ;  as,  doux, 
dionce,  doucement,  sweet,  sweetly ;  divin,  divine,  divinement, 
divine,  divinely. 

Toute  I'Ecriture  est  divinement  inspiree,  all  Scripture  is  divinely 
inspired. 

PREPOSITIONS. 

A  Preposition  shows  the  relation  of  one  word  to  another. 
In  French  it  precedes  the  Noun  which  it  governs  {durant 
excepted).  The  most  frequently  used  are  :  ci,  to,  at,  in ; 
a  cote  de,  by,  next  to ;  aprh,  after ;  attendu,  considering ; 
avant,  before ;  avec,  with ;  chez,  at,  among ;  contre,  against ; 
dans,  in;  de,  of;  delh,  thence,  beyond;  depuis,  since; 
derrilre,  behind;  des,  from,  as  soon  as;  devant,  before; 
dessous,  under;  dessus,  above;  durant,  during;  en,  in; 
entre,  between ;  envers,  towards ;  excepte,  except ;  environ. 


62  Drury's  French  Grammar 

about;  horniis^  except;  hors^  out  oi)  joignaiit^  joining; 
malgrt^  in  spite  of;  moyennant,hy  means  of;  nonobstant^ 
notwithstanding ;  outre^  besides  ;  pai%  by ;  par7ni^  among ; 
pendant^  during ;  pour^  for ;  prh  de,  proche  de,  near ;  qua?it 
a,  as  to,  as  for ;  sans^  without ;  sauf,  save ;  seion,  accord- 
ing to ;  sousy  under ;  sur^  upon ;  sinvant,  according  to ; 
touchant,  concerning ;  vers^  towards ;  void,  here  is ;  voildy 
there  is;  vis-d-vts  de,  opposite;  vu,  concerning.  Pre- 
positions are  repeated  before  every  word  they  govern. 

The  French  have  not  such  a  word  as  home;  they  can- 
not translate  into  their  language  our  words  "  Home,  sweet 
Home."  Chez  moi  are  the  words  they  make  use  of  to 
represent  it;  chez,  at,  among,  with,  at  the  house  of ;  chez 
moi,  at  me ;  chez  eux,  at  them  ;  chez  lui,  at  him ;  chez  elle, 
at  her;  je  vais  chez  mo?i  pere,  I  go  to  the  house  of  my 
father.  It  is  an  idiom ;  as,  chez  le  libraire,  at  the  book- 
seller's. 

The  Preposition  en  {in)  must  not  be  confounded  with 
the  same  word  a  Pronoun  {of  him,  of  her,  &c.);  this  one 
always  has  a  complement,  as,  en  France,  in  France ;  en 
vapeur,  in  vapour.  This  en  (in)  is  different  to  dans  (in) : 
en  is  made  use  of  before  a  Noun  without  any  Article, 
whilst  dans  usually  requires  one  to  follow ;  say.  En  Am^- 
rique  on  parle  I'anglais,  mais  I'anglais  fut  inconnu  dans 
/'Amerique  d'autrefois.  In  regard  to  '■'' time^^  dans  de- 
notes the  point,  and  en  the  duration :  Ma  mere  arrivera 
dans  deux  mois — My  mother  will  arrive  in  two  months ; 
but,  j'ai  appris  le  frangais  tn  deux  mois — I  have  learned 
French  in  two  months. 

La  beaute  sans  vertu,  est  une  fleur  sans  parfum — (The) 
beauty  without  virtue  is  a  flower  ivithout  perfume. 

Prepositions  M'SM'^y  precede  Nouns ;  but  there  are  eight 
which  can  also  precede  Verbs,  viz.,  a,  de,  entre,  par, 
pour,  sans;  these  place  themselves  htior^  Infinitives : 
II  a  I'intention  de  rester  ici.  He  has  the  intention  of  to 
remain  here,  or  he  intends  remaining  here.  C'est  k  vous 
a  jouer,  it's  to  you  to  play. 

En  before  the  Participle  present,  as,  en  parlant  {in 
speaking);  indeed,  en  is  the  only  Preposition  which  governs 
the  participle  present. 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View.  63 

Apres  precedes  the  Auxiliary  Verbs  avoir  and  etre. 
Apres  avoir  parle — After  having  spoken.  Apres  etre 
trompe — After  being  deceived. 

Prepositions  are  divided  into  three  classes  :  ist  of 
which  governs  the  Accusative  case,  and  such  are  chiefly 
simple  words.  2ndly,  governing  the  Genitive  case,  srdly, 
the  Dative  case ;  but  these  are  compound  words. 

I  must  refer  students  to  larger  grammars  for  further  in- 
formation, excepting  that,  for  an  example,  I  may  say, 
apres  is  No.  i,  a  cote  de^  No.  2,  quant  a,  No.  3.  Marchez 
apres  lui — Walk  after  him.  C'est  a  cote  de  lui — It's  at 
side  of  him.  Quant  a  moi,  j'aime  la  verite — As  for  vie^  I 
love  (the)  truth. 

A,  wherever  it  may  be  seen,  has  a  general  idea  of  going 
tOj  or  leaning  towards  something,  somewhere,  or  some- 
body :  a  vous,  to  you ;  cL  moi,  to  me ;  ci  leur,  to  them. 
Je  vais  cL  Paris — I  go  to  Paris.  Je  pense  a  vous — I  think 
to  you,  not  of  you  ^  as  in  English.  Je  cours  a  vous — I  run 
to  you.  Je  vous  invite  a  rester — I  you  invite  to  remain. 
Also  after  a  Noun  forming  a  compound  of  Noun  and 


Verb,  or  in  the  sense  oi  purpose  of  as,  Une  chambre  ct 
coucher,  a  chamber  on  purpose  to  sleep  in,  or  a  bed- 
chamber ;  la  salle  h  manger,  the  saloon  on  purpose  to 
dine  in,  or  dining-room  ;  un  verre  ct  vin,  a  wine-glass,  or 
glass  on  purpose  to  hold  wine ;  un  moulin  i  vent,  a  mill 
to  wind,  or  windmill ;  la  poudre  ci  canon,  the  powder  to 


64  Driiry's  French  Grammar 

cannon,  or  gunpowder,  &c.  Bateau  ^  vapeur,  steam- 
boat. 

De  or  d'  is  the  most  important  of  all  Prepositions. 

When  a  Noun  is  taken  in  a  partitive  sense  and  preceded 
by  an  Adjective  of  quality,  de  is  used  instead  of  the 
Article  ;  as,  j'ai  de  bons  livres,  and  not  j'ai  des  bons  livres. 
It  takes  the  place  of  the  partitive  Article  du  or  de  la,  ir- 
respective of  gender  or  number  in  the  Noun.  It  means 
some,  any,  in  or  out  of  abundance,  quantity,  quality,  space 
of  nature,  body  and  mind.  No  matter  how  lafge  or  houf 
small  that  quantity  may  be,  it  still  represents  quantity  (the 
partitive  Article  speaks  more  in  2,  fractional  %^vi%€). 

When  an  Adjective  precedes  a  Noun,  say,  de  ban  pain, 
not  du  bon ;  de  bonne  viande,  not  de  la  bonne  viande,  of 
some  good  bread,  of  some  good  meat.  The  Article  would 
refer  to  a  bit  of  bread,  or  a  slice,  or  a  cut  off  a  joint  of 
meat.  Peu  de  pain,  little  of  bread,  means  some  in  a 
quantity. 

In  Mixture :  meler  avec  de  bonne  farine,  to  mix  with 
good  flour ;  se  meler  de,  to  mix  in,  meddle  with,  or  be 
concerned  in  with  somebody  or  something. 

Where  Nouns  are  indefinitely  used ;  as,  digne  de  lou- 
ange,  worthy  of  praise. 

Where  a  Noun  follows  another  relating  to  one  idea  of 
quantity;  as,  femme  de  chambre,  chamber  woman,  or 
woman  of  chambers,  not  a  single  chamber;  un  mal  de 
tete,  bad  of  the  head ;  mal  de  dent,  ache  of  teeth,  in  a 
general  sense. 

It  also  indicates  objects  by  their  materials;  as,  une 
montre  ^'or,  a  watch  of  gold  ;  un  chapeau  de  sole,  a  hat 
f7/"silk;  not  ol  the  particular  silk,  nox  particular  go\d,  but 
of  general  gold  or  silk — chemin  de  fer,  road  of  iron 
(railway). 

It  means  little  out  of  little,  in  a  general  sense ;  as,  un 
peu  ^'aide  fait  de  bien,  a  little  ^help  does  of  mnch.  ser- 
vice ;  un  peu  de  levain  produit  grande  pate,  a  little  ^  yeast 
makes  big  paste ;  un  verre  de  vin,  a  glass  of  wine ;  une 
bouteille  de  vin,  a  bottle  ^wine. 

It  also  means  from  ;  as,  il  vient  de  mon  pere,  de  ma 
mere,  et  de  mes  sceurs ;  he  comes  from  my  father,  from 


in  an  A  musing  Point  of  View,  65 

my  mother,  zxi6.from  my  sisters;  and  as  in  the  following 
sentence :  ils  arrivent  de  Paris,  they  arrive  from  Paris. 

Of  Time  :  il  est  de  bonne  heure,  it  is  of  good  time  (or 
early) ;  je  n'ai  pas  plus  de  dix  ans,  I  have  not  more  than 
ten  years  (or  ten  years  of  age). 

Before  Infinitives,  or  between  two  Verbs,  or  after  Verbs 
and  Participles  which  in  English  are  followed  by  the 
word  with  \  as,  il  est  rempli  de  vin ;  he  is  full  of  (or  with) 
wine. 

Je  me  propose  de  me  marier,  I  me  propose  for  me  to 
marry,  meaning  I  intend  to  ^2iXi2i\iQ  of  S07?iethi7ig  (good  or 
bad),  viz.,  the  matrimonial  state.  Donnez-moi  un  morceau 
de  pain,  give  me  a  piece  of  bread ;  plus  de  pain,  more  of 
bread ;  moins  de  pain,  less  of  bread ;  trop  de  pain,  too 
much  ^  bread. 

Les  parents  de  ma  femme,  the  relatives  of  my  wife. 

Of  Stature :  un  homme  de  six  pieds  de  hauteur,  a  man 
of  six  feet  of  height. 

And  all  words  expressive  of  qtiaftiity  or  scarcity  (ex- 
cepting bien)  require  de  after  them. 

II  a  plus  de  peur  que  de  mal — "  He  has  more  of  fear 
than  of  harm  "  (or,  more  frightened  than  hurt).  Beaucoup 
de  bruit  et  peu  ^'effet — "  Much  of  noise  and  little  of 
effect."  Abondance  de  bien  ne  nuit  pas — "  Abundance  of 
good  things  never  hurts."  II  n'est  sauce  que  ^'appetit — 
"  No  sauce  like  that  ^appetite."  II  n'est  point  de  roses 
sans  epines — "  There  are  none  of  roses  without  thorns." 
Un  livre  de  fables,  a  book  of  fables. 

Contrasts.  Cest  a  vous  a  repondre,  it  is  to  you  to 
reply  (or  your  turn) ;  c'est  d  vous  de  repondre,  means  your 
duty  or  right  to  reply.  Un  verre  ^  vin,  a  wine-glass ;  un  verre 
de  vin,  a  glass  of  wine.  Unpot  au  lait,  a  pot  for  milk ;  unpot 
de  lait,  a  pot  of  milk.  Par  terre,  on  the  earth  ;  k  terre, 
towards  the  earth.  En  ville,  in  the  city  (out  of  the  house) ; 
a  la  ville,  going  to  the  city.  La  boite  a  allu7nettes,  the  box 
on  purpose  for  matches ;  botte  dHallumettes,  box  of  matches. 
Le  chemin  de  fer,  the  road  of  iron  (railroad).  Le  bateau 
a  vapeur,  the  boat  on  purpose  for  steam,  or  steam-boat. 
A  la  campagne,  about  the  country  for  pleasure,  or  the 
action  of  going  into  the  country,  far  from  one's  home, 

E 


6^  Drurfs  French  Grammar 

parties  of  pleasure.     En  campagne  signifies  more  like 
business  ;  also  of  an  army  in  search  of  an  enemy. 

Le  porte-monnaie  tombe  h  terre,  et  moi  je  tombe  par  terre  pour  le 
ramasser  ;  or,  say,  that  a  brick  fell  from  the  top  of  a  house,  it  fell 
a  terre,  whilst  a  brick  standing  on  its  end  on  the  ground,  and  falling 
over  on  its  side,  will  be  par  terre;  so  that  anything  already  on  the 
earth,  falling,  is  par  terre. 

Apres  (^/<?/') means  posteriority,  but  d'apres  expresses 
an  idea  of  origin ;  as,  d'apres  nature,  Le  portrait  de  la 
Comtesse  de  Salisbury  d'aprds  nature,  the  portrait  of 
the  Countess  of  Salisbury,  after  nature. 

Pretes-moi  de  I'argent,  lend  nie 
some  money. 

Excusez-moi,  je  ne  preterien,  ex- 
cuse me,  I  not  lend  anything. 

Alors  il  n'y  a  pas  d'avantage,  ni 
d'un  c6te  ne  de  I'autre,  then 
it  not  there  has  advantage, 
not  of  one  side  nor  of  the 
other. 


Uti  homme  devant  I'autre,  one  man  before  the  other. 

Deux  messieurs  d'apres  nature,  two  gentlemen  after 
::ature. 

Avant  diner,  before  dinner;  apres  diner,  after 
dinner. 

Avant  and  devant  both  mean  before :  «z/^«/,  by  reason 
of  time — say  "  before  one  o'clock ; "  devant  for  position, 
as,  "  He  stands  there  before  you." 

Prds  de  dix  heures,  near  ten  o'clock;  pres  a,  on 
the  point. 

CONJUNCTIONS. 

A  Conjunction  serves  to  join  words  or  sentences  to- 
gether. Some  govern  Verbs  in  the  ffidicative  Mood^  some 
in  the  Subjunctive^  others  in  the  Infinitive. 

For  Indicative :  ainsi^  thus ;  ainsi  que,  as  ;  au  lieu  que^ 
whereas;  aussitot  que,  as  soon  as;  car,  for;  cependa?it, 
however,  yet ;  dest  pourquoi,  therefore  ;  co7?ime,  as ;  d'ail- 
Uurs,  besides ;  depuis  que,  since ;  de  plus,  moreover ;  de 


in  an  A  musing  Point  of  View.  67 

iorle  que^  so  that ;  dh  que^  as  soon  as ;  donc^  then  \  et^  and ; 
eneffety  indeed;  enfin,  in  short;  lorsque^  when;  mais,  but; 
meme^  even;  neannioins^  nevertheless;  ni^  neither,  nor; 
cr,  now ;  ou  bien^  or  else ;  ou^  either,  or ;  outre  que^  be- 
sides; parceque,  because;  pendant  que^  whilst;  pcur  lors^ 
then  -jpourqiwi^  why,  wherefore ;  pourtant,  however ;  pm's- 
que^  since;  qiiand^  when ;  quand  7?ih?ie^  though ;  que,  that ; 
savotr,  namely;  selon  que,  according  as;  si,  if;  sino?i,  or 
else ;  sitot  que,  as  soon  as ;  soit,  either,  or ;  suivant  que, 
according  as ;  surtoiU,  especially ;  tandis  que^  whilst ;  tant 
que,  as  long  as ;  toutefois,  however. 

Quand  on  est  riche,  on  ne  manque  pas  d'amis.  When 
one  is  rich,  one  not  fails  not  of  friends. 

For  Subjunctive :  afin  que,  in  order  that;  cL  mains  que, 
unless  ;  avant  que,  before ;  bien  que,  though ;  de  craifite  que, 
for  fear ;  de  peur  que,  lest ;  en  cas  que,  in  case  that ;  encore 
que,  though ;  jusqud,  ce  que,  till ;  loin  que,  far  from ;  fwn 
pas  que,  not  that ;  pour  que,  that ;  pourvu  que,  provided ; 
quoique,  although ;  sans  que,  without ;  sinon  que,  except 
that ;  soit  que,  whether ;  suppose  que,  suppose. 

For  Infinitive  :  afin  de,  in  order  to ;  i  moins  de,  unless ; 
avant  de,  before;  au  lieu  de,  instead  of;  de  crainte  de,  for 
fear  of;  de  peur  de,  for  fear  of;  faute  de,  for  want  of; 
jusqt^d^  till ;  loin  de,  far  from ;  plutot  que  de,  rather  than. 


INTERJECTIONS. 

Interjections  are  emotions  of  the  Mind ;  as,  Ah !  bon  \ 
bah !  chut !  courage !  eh !  he !  o !  oh !  ouf  I  fi !  fi  done ! 
gare !  hola  !  made  use  of  like  the  following  examples  : 
Ah  I  queje  vous  aime  / — Oh,  how  I  love  you  !  Eh,  com- 
vient  il  est  laid ! — Eh,  how  ugly  he  is  !  Oh!  mais  vous  ne 
m'aimez  pas  ! — Oh  !  but  you  don't  love  me  !  O  ma  mere! 
queje  vous  aime ! — O  my  mother,  how  I  love  you  !  Ho  ! 
attendez  un  7nom€nt — Ho  !  wait  a  moment.  Eh,  la-bas ! 
on  ne  passe  pas  ! — Eh,  you  there !  "  Cannot  pass,"  says  the 
sentinel.  Tout  beau,  mon  bon  Monsieur!  fie  le  prenez  pas 
si  haut — Very  fine,  my  good  sir !  don't  be  so  imperti- 
nent.   O  quelle  horreur ! — Oh,  how  horrible  !     De  grace 


68 


Drury's  French  Grammar 


6  ma  chlre  mere  /  un  dernier  haiser — For  goodness  sake, 
O  my  dear  mother  !  a  last  kiss.  Ah  !  par  exemple  I  Oh  ! 
indeed ! 

There  are  many  others,  too  numerous  to  mention,  local 
to  various  parts  of  the  country. 


"throw  us  a  copper,  mister. 

la  necessite  fait  le  larron,  {the)  necessity  makes  the  thief. 
tomber  dans  la  necessite,  to  fall  into  {the)  necessity 

ELEV£  AU  DELA  DE  SON  AMBITION. 


RAISED  ABOVE  HIS  AMBITION. 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View,  69 


USEFUL  KNOWLEDGE  FOR  TRAVELLERS,  OR 
FOR  ANYONE  ELSE. 

Days  of  the  Week. — Sunday,  dimanche.  Monday, 
lundi.  Tuesday,  tnardi.  Wednesday,  mercredi.  Thurs- 
day, y>2^^/.     Friday,  vendredi.     Saturday,  samedi. 

Months  of  the  Year. — January,  y^^z^/^r.  February, 
fevrier.  March,  mars.  April,  avnl.  May,  mai.  June, 
juin.  ]M\yyjutllet.  August,  aout.  September,  septembre. 
October,  octobre.  November,  novembre,  December,  de- 
cembre. 

Seasons. — Spring,  le printemps.  Summer,  Vete,  Au- 
tumn, Vautomne.     Winter,  Vhiver. 

Holidays. — Christmas,  nod.  Advent,  Vavent.  Easter, 
paques.  Easter  Monday,  lundi  de  paques.  Good  Friday, 
le  vefidredi-saifit.  Lent,  le  careme.  Shrove  Tuesday,  le 
mardi  gras.     New  Year's  Day,  lejour  de  Van. 

Division  of  Time. — Afternoon,  aprh-midi.  After 
to-morrow,  aprh-demain.  Beginning,  le  commencement. 
Century,  un  siecle.  Daybreak,  point  dujour.  Dawn,  Vaube 
dujour.  Day  (the),  lejour^  lajournee.  Day  before  yes- 
terday, avant-hier.  Day  (to),  aujourd'hui.  Day  (next), 
le  lendemain.  Day  (fast),  un  jour  maigre.  End  (the),  la 
fin.  Forenoon,  avani-midi.  Holidays,  les  vacances.  Holi- 
day, festival^  un  jour  de  fete.  Hour,  une  heiire.  Hour 
(quarter  of),  un  quart  d'heure.  Hour  (half  of),  une  demi- 
heure.  Midnight,  minuit.  Morning,  le  matin,  la  matinee. 
Morrow  (to),  demain.  Minute,  une  minute.  Month,  un 
mois.  Middle,  milieu.  Night,  la  nuit.  Noon,  or  twelve 
o'clock,  midi.  Leap  year,  Pantiee  bi5se::Hle.  Sunrise,  le 
lever  du  soleil.  Week,  u?ie  semaine.  Year,  un  an.  Yester- 
day, hier. 

Periods  of  Time. — Days  :  One  of  these  days,  un 
de  ces  jours.  From  day  to  day,  de  jour  en  jour.  One  day 
to  another,  d'unjourd  P  autre.  Every  day,  tons  les  jours. 
Daily,  journellement.  Weeks  ;  Last  week,  la  semaine  der- 
nitre.  It  is  a  week  since,  il y  a  huit  jours.  Next  week, 
la  semaine prochaine.  At  the  end  of  the  week,  cL  la  fin  de 
la  semaine.     In  a  fortnight,  dans  quinze  jours.     Months  : 


7<^ 


Drurfs  French  Grammar 


In  a  month,  dans  un  mots.  At  the  end  of  the  month,  vers 
la  fi7i  du  mots.  The  first  of  next  month,  le  premier  du 
mois p7'ochain.  It  is  at  least  a  month,  ily  a  bien  un  mots. 
Last  month,  le  mois  dernier.  Years  :  Last  year,  Vannee 
dernier e^  or  Van  passe.  Next  year,  Pannee  prochaine.  It 
will  be  a  year  on  the  loth  of  next  month,  il y  aura  un  an 
k  dix  du  mois  prochain. 

Parts  of  the  Body. — Arm,  le  bras.  Ankle,  lacheville 
dupied.  Artery,  une  artere.  Back,  le  dos.  Backbone, 
Vechine.  Bowels,  les  intestins.  Bosom,  le  sein.  Brain,  le 
cerveau,  or  la  eervelle.  Breast,  la  matnelle.  Calf  of  leg,  le 
mollet.  Cheek,  la  Joue.  Chest,  la  poi^rine.  Esly,  Toreille. 
Ear  drum,  le  tympan  de  Poreille.  Elbow,  le  coude.  Eye, 
Voeil.  Eyes,  les  yeux.  Eyeball,  la  priinelle.  Eyebrows, 
les  sourcils.  Eyelash,  le  cil.  Eyelid,  la  paupiere.  Face, 
le  visage,  or  la  figure.  Fat,  la  graisse.  Finger,  le  doigt. 
Yist,  le  poing.  'Flesh,  la  chair.  Yoot,  le  pied.  Forehead, 
le  front.  Front  teeth,  dents  de  devant.  Groine,  Paine. 
Gums,  les  gencives.  Hand, /rtJ  main.  Head,  la  tete.  Heart, 
le  coiur.  Heel,  le  talon.  Hip,  la  hanche.  Instep,  le  cou- 
de-pied.  Jaw,  la  machoire.  Knee,  le  genou.  Knee-cap, 
la  r&tule.  Leg,  la  jambe.  Limb,  un  membre.  Lips,  les 
levres.  Liver,  le  foie.  Loins,  les  reins.  Lungs,  les  pou- 
mons.  Mouth,  la  bouche.  Nails,  les  ongles.  Neck,  le  cou. 
Nerves,  les  nerfs.  Nipple,  le  mamelon.  Nose,  le  nez.  Nos- 
trils, les  narines.  Ribs,  les  cotes.  Shoulder,  Vepaule.  Shin, 
ros  de  la  jambe.  Sides,  les  cotes.  Sinews,  les  tendrons. 
Skin,  la  peau.  Stomach,  le  ventre,  or  Pestomac.  Temples, 
les  tempes.  Thigh,  la  cuisse.  Throat,  la  gorge.  Thumb,  le 
pouce.  Tip  of  the  nose,  le  bout  du  nez.  Tongue,  la  langue. 
Tooth,  la  dent.  Waist,  la  taille.  Wrist,  lepoignet.  Vein, 
la  veine. 

Ailments. — I  am  not  well,  je  ne  me  porte  pas  bien. 
What's  the  matter  with  you?  qti'avez  vousi  I  have  a 
severe  cold,  Je  suis  fort  eJirhume.  I  have  bad  eyes,  yW 
7Jial  aux  yeux.  I  have  a  pain  at  my  side,  fai  mal  au  cote. 
I  have  sore  feet,  fai  mal  aux  pieds.  I  have  the  tooth- 
ache, fai  mal  aux  dents.  I'm  sick  at  heart,  fai  mal  au 
cceur.  I  have  a  head  ache,  or  I  have  ill  at  the  head,  j'ai 
mal  ci  la  tete.     I  have  a  sick  headache, /'«2  la  migraine. 


in  an  Amtisifzg  Pomt  of  View,  *Jl 

Animals.  Ass,  un  am.  Bloodhound,  un  limirr. 
Bull,  2in  iaureau.  Bull-dog,  un  dogue.  Calf,  un  veau. 
Cat,  un  chat,  une  chatte.  Capon,  un  chapon.  Chicken, 
un  poulet.  Colt,  un  poulain.  Cow,  une  vache.  Cock,  uti 
cog.  Dog,  un  chien.  Duck,  un  ca?mrd.  Ewe,  une  brebis. 
Filly,  une  pouliche.  Goat  (he),  un  bouc;  (she),  une  chevre. 
Greyhound,  un  levrier.  Goose,  U7ie  oie.  Hen,  une poule. 
Heifer,  une  genisse.  Hog,  un  cochon.  Horse,  un  cJieval. 
Kid,  un  chevreau.  Lamb,  u?i  agneau.  Lapdog,  un  chien 
de  dame.  Mare,  une  junient.  Mastiff,  un  ?ndiin.  Mule, 
un  piuiet  A  Newfoundland,  un  chieji  de  Terre-Neuve. 
Ox,  un  bosuf.  VQ2iCOck,u?ipaon.  V\g,unporc.  Pigeon, 
un  pigeon.  Pointer,  un  chien  (Garret.  Rabbit,  le  lapin. 
Ram,  un  b'elier.  Setter,  un  chien  couchant.  Sheep,  U7i 
7no7iton.  Spaniel,  un  epagneul.  Sow,  une  truie.  Swan,  un 
cyg7ie.  Stallion,  un  etaloti.  Terrier,  un  basset;  (Scotch  do.), 
un  griffon.    Turkey,  un  dindon.    Water  spaniel,  un  barbet. 

Fish. — Brill,  U7ie  barbue.  Carp,  une  carpe.  Chub,  tin 
chabot.  Cod,  U7ie  7norue.  Craw-fish,  un  ecrevisse.  Eel,  une 
anguille.  Freshwater  fish,  des poissons  de  riviere.  Herring, 
un  hareng.  Lampreys,  des  lamproies.  Lobster,  un  ho7nard. 
Mackerel,  un  maquereau.  Mussels,  des  moules.  Oysters, 
des  huitres.  Vexch,  tine  perche.  Vike,  un  brochet.  Pilchard, 
une  sardine.  Salmon,  un  sauTnon.  Shrimps,  des  crevettes. 
Shad,  une  alose.  Skate,  une  raie.  Smelt,  un  eperlan.  Sole, 
une  sole.  Tench,  une  tanche.  Trout,  une  truite.  Turbot, 
un  turbot.     Turtle,  tine  tortue. 

Flowers. — Auricula,  tine  oreille  d^ ours.  Corn-flower, 
tin  bluet.  Crowfoot,  une  re7toncule.  Daisy,  une  7narguerite. 
Daffodil,  un  narcisse.  Forget-me-not,  tin  npyosotis.  Gilly- 
flower, une  giroflee.  Heartsease,  une  pe7isee.  Holly-hock, 
une  rose  tre77iiere.  Hyacinth,  tine  hyacinthe.  Honeysuckle, 
un  chlvrefeiiille.  Jessamine,  tin  jastnin.  Larkspur,  le  pied 
d'alouette.  Lily,  un  lis.  Lilac,  le  lilas.  Lily  of  the  valley, 
un  niuguet.  Marigold,  tin  souci.  Pink,  U7i  oeillet.  Poppy, 
un  pavot.  Primrose,  une  pri77ievere.  Rose,  la  rose.  Sun- 
flower, un  tournesol.     Tulip,  la  tulipe.     Violet,  la  violette. 

Fruits. — Apple,  une  po7n7ne.  Apricot,  tin  abricot. 
Almond,  U7u  ama7tde.  Blackberry,  une  bale  de  ronce.  Bil- 
berries, des  bales  de  myrtille.  Cherry,  une  cerise.  Chestnut, 


^2  Drury's  French  Grammar 

une  chdtaigne.  Currant,  la  groseille.  Date,  une  datte.  Fig, 
unefigue.  Filbert,  une  ave/ine.  Gooseheny,  une grose///ed 
maquereau.  GxdJ^Q,le raisin.  Hsizelnut,  imenoiseUe.  Lemon, 
un  citron.  Medlar,  une  nefle.  Mulberry,  la  miire.  Necta- 
rine, z//^  ^r/^^/^<7;z.  Omnge,  une  orange.  Yezx^unepoire.  Plum, 
une pi-une.  V QSich,  utie  peche.  Quince,  u?i  coim^.  Rasp- 
berry, une  framboise.  Strawberry,  U7ie  fraise.  Walnut, 
une  noix. 

Trees. — Acacia,  un  acacia.  Aspen,  un  tremble.  Alder, 
un  aune.  Ash,  un  frene.  Beech,  U7i  hetre.  Birch,  un 
bouleau.  Cedar,  un  cedre.  Elder,  un  sureau.  Ehu,  tm 
orme.  Fir,  un  sapin.  Holly,  un  hoiix.  Horse-chestnut, 
un  maronnier  d' hide.  'L2ivc\  tm  ffteleze.  lAme,  tm  tillail. 
Maple,  tm  erable.  Pine,  un  pin.  Poplar,  un  peuplier. 
Plane,  tm  platane.     Willow,  un  saule. 

Vegetables. — Artichokes,  des  artichauts.  Asparagus, 
des  asperges.  Beans  (broad),  des  f  eves;  (kidney),  des  hari- 
cots verts.  Beet-root,  une  betterave.  Cabbage,  un  chott. 
Cauliflower,  un  chou-fleur.  Carrots,  des  carottes.  Celery, 
du  celeri.  Chervil,  du  cerfeuil.  Chives,  de  la  ciboulette. 
Cucumber,  concombre.  Endive,  la  chicoree.  Garlic,  de  Vail. 
Garden-cress,  du  cresson  dejarditi.  Gherkins,  des  corni- 
chons.  Horse-radish,  du  raifort.  Lentils,  des  lentilles. 
Lettuce,  de  la  laittie.  Marjoram,  de  la  marjolaine.  Mush- 
rooms, des  champignons.  Melon,  un  melon.  Mint,  la 
menthe.  Onions,  des  oignons.  Parsnips,  des  panais.  Potato, 
une  pomme  de  terre.  Parsley,  dupersil.  Radishes,  des  radis. 
Sage,  la  sauge.  Sea-kale,  le  chou-mariti.  Salad,  une  salade. 
^2i}^.Q\.'s>,  des  echalottes.  Soxvei,  de  Poseille.  Spin  age,  V(?j 
epinards.  Thyme,  le  thym.  Truffles,  des  truffes.  Turnips, 
des  navets.     Water-cress,  du  cresson. 

Seeds. — A  root,  tme  racine.  Barley,  Vorge.  Com,  le 
ble.  Maize,  le  ble  de  Turqtiie,  Millet,  le  millet.  Oats, 
Vavoine.    Rice,  le  riz.    Rye,  le  seigle.    Wheat,  lefroment. 

Household  Furniture. — Basin,  tm  bassin.  Basket, 
une  corbeille.  Bed,  un  lit;  (feather),  un  lit  deplumes; 
(down),  un  lit  de  duvet.  Bedroom,  une  chambi'e  d,  coucher. 
Bell,  la  sonnette.  Blanket,  une  couverture  de  laine.  Bed- 
stead, le  bois  de  lit.  Bedclothes,  les  couvertures.  Bolster, 
le  traversin.    Bolt,  le  verrou.    Bottle,  la  bouteille.    Box,  une 


171  an  A  musmg  Point  of  View,  73 

boite.  Broom,  un  balai.  Carpet,  un  tapis.  Candle,  une 
chandelle;  {?>\.\c\i)j  un  chandelier ;  {^3.x),  une  bougie.  Char- 
coal, ie  charbon  de  bois.  Cask,  unefutatlle.  Chair,  la  chaise; 
(arm),  lefauteuil.  Clock,  une  pendule.  Coal,  charbon  de 
terre.  Coffee-pot,  une  cafetiere.  Corkscrew,  le  tire-bouchon. 
Counterpane,  une  courtepointe.  Cover,  un  couvercle.  Cup, 
tine  tasse.  Dining-room,  la  salle  a  manger.  Dish,  un  plat. 
Door,  la  porte.  Drawers  (chest  of),  une  commode.  Draw- 
ing-room, le  salon.  Ewer,  une  aiguilre.  Fork,  une  four- 
chette.  Fender,  un  garde-cetidres.  Glass,  un  verre;  (pane 
of),  vitre.  Grater,  une  rape.  Gridiron,  un  gril.  Knife, 
un  couteau.  Mat,  une  natte.  Mustard-pot,  U7i  moutardier. 
Pail,  un  seau.  Pepper-box,  une  poivriere.  Pie-dish,  une 
tourtiere.  Pillow,  un  oreiller ;  (case),  une  taie  d^oreiller. 
Pitcher,  une  cruche.  Plate,  une  assiette.  Poker,  le  tison- 
nier,  ^dXi-ceWdLX^  une  saline.  SaMceijUnesoucoupe.  Screen, 
un  Scran.  Slate,  une  ardoise.  Sheets,  les  drops.  Shovel, 
lapelle.  STponge,  une  Sponge.  Spoon,  une  cuill^re.  Stove, 
un  poele.  Sugar-basin,  le  sucrier.  Snuffers,  les  moucheites; 
(tray  for),  porte-mouchettes.  Table,  la  table.  Tablecloth, 
une  nappe.  Table-napkin,  une  serviette.  Tea-caddy,  tine 
boite  d  the;  (kettle),  une  bouilloire ;  (tray),  un  plateau. 
Towel,  un  essuie-main.  Tongs,  les  pincettes.  Trunk,  un 
coffre.    Tub,  une  cuve. 

Wearing  Apparel. — Apron,  un  tablier.  Belt,  un  bau- 
drier.  Bodice,  le  corps.  Boots,  des  bottes.  Boot-jack,  un 
tire-bottes.  Braces,  des  bretelles.  Breeches,  une  culotte. 
Buckle,  la  boucle.  Button,  le  bouton.  Button-hole,  la  bou- 
tonniere.  Bonnet,  un  chapeau  de  fefnme.  Bracelets,  des 
bracelets.  Brocade,  le  brocade.  Brush,  une  brosse;  (tooth), 
une  brosse  d  dents.  Buckram,  le  bougran.  Cap,  un  bonnet; 
(night),  une  cornette,  un  bo?inet  de  nuit.  Calico,  du  cali- 
cot.  Cambric,  de  la  batiste.  Cloak,  un  manteau.  Cloth, 
le  drap,  la  toile.  Collar,  le  col,  le  collet.  Coat,  un  habit; 
(frock),  une  redingote ;  (waist),  un  gilet ;  (mourning),  un 
habit  de  deuil.  Comb,  un  peigne.  Crape,  le  crepe.  Cuff, 
manchette.  Drawers,  des  calefons.  Dimity,  le  basin.  Eye- 
glass, un  lorgnon.  Fan,  un  evantail.  Flannel,  laflannelle. 
Fur,  la  fourrure.  Garter,  la  jarretiere.  Glove,  le  gant. 
Gauze,  la  gaze.    Gown,  la  robe;  (dressing),  la  robe  de 


74  Drurys  French  Grammar 

chambre.  Hat,  le  chapeau.  Handkerchief,  un  mouchoir. 
Headdress,  une  coiffure.  Lace,  la  dentelle.  Leather,  le 
cuir.  Muff,  un  manchon.  Muslin,  la  mousselme.  Needle, 
une  aiguille.  Neck\9.ce,  un  collier.  Neckerchief,  un  fichu. 
Neckcloth,  une  cravate.  Opera-glass,  tine  lorgnette.  Petti- 
coat, unejupe.  Pin,  une  tpingle.  Pincushion,  une pelote. 
Pomatum,  la  pommade.  Shawl,  un  chale.  Shirt,  une  chemise. 
Shoe,  le  Soulier.  Slipper,  pantoufle.  Sock,  le  chausson. 
Stocking,  le  bas;  (knitted),  le  bas  tricote.  Stays,  un  corset. 
Silk,  la  sole.     Sarcenet,  le  taffetas.     Thimble,  un  de. 

Eating,  Drinking,  &c. — Anchovies,  anchois.  Bacon, 
du  lard;  (flitch  of),  une  fieche  de  lard.  Beef,  du  boeuf; 
(fresh  boiled),  du  bouilli ;  (roast),  du  roti ;  (sirloin  of),  un 
aloyau ;  (rump  of),  une  culotte  de  bceuf ;  (beefsteak),  un 
hifteck.  Bread,  du  pain  ;  (brown),  du  pain  bis  ;  (white), 
dupainblanc  ;  {ne^N),  du  pain  frais  ;  {h.o\),dupainchaud ; 
(stale),  du  pain  rassis  ;  (rasped),  du  pain  chapele ;  (loaf), 
du  pain  ;  (household),  du  pain  de  menage.  Breakfast,  le 
dejeuner.  Beer,  de  la  biere.  Biscuits,  des  biscuits.  Brandy, 
r eau-de-vie.  Butter,  du  beurre ;  (fresh),  du  beui're  frais ; 
(salt),  du  beurre  sale.  Broth,  du  bouillon.  Cakes,  des 
gateaux.  Calf's  head,  une  tete  de  veau.  Calf's  pluck,  une 
fressure.  Capers,  des  capres.  Cloves,  des  clous  de  girofle. 
Cmxidimon,  de  la  cannelle.  Cheese,  du  fromage.  Cider,  du 
cidre.  Custards,  du  flan.  Chitterlings,  des  a?idouilles. 
Crust,  la  crotite.  Crumb,  la  mie;  (small),  la  miette ;  (kiss- 
ing-crust),  la  baisure.  Dinner,  le  diner.  Dough,  la  pate. 
Eggs,  des  oeufs;  (new  laid),  des  ceufs  frais ;  (boiled),  des 
oeufs  d  la  coque ;  (hard-boiled),  des  oeufs  durs.  Fish,  du 
poisson.  Fritters,  des  beignets.  Flour,  lafarine.  Game, 
du  gibier.  Ginger,  du  gingembre.  Gravy,  dujus.  Gizzard, 
le  gesier.  Ham,  du  jambon.  Ices,  des  glaces.  Jam,  des 
confitures.  Jelly,  de  la  gelee.  Lamb,  de  Fagneau  ;  (quarter 
of),  un  quai'tier  d'agneau.  Liver,  le  foie.  Meal,  de  la 
farine.  Meat  (roast),  du  roti;  (minced),  du  hachis ; 
(stewed),  une  etuvee,  un  ragoHt.  Macaroons,  des  macarons. 
Mushrooms,  des  champignons.  Mustard,  de  la  moutarde. 
Mutton,  du  mouton ;  (breast  of),  de  la  poitrine ;  (chops), 
des  cotelettes ;  (leg  of),  un  gigot ;  (neck  of),  un  collet; 
(shoulder  of),  une  epaule.    Oil,  de  Vhuile.     Omelette,  une 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View.  75 

omelette.  Pancakes,  des  crepes.  Pepper,  du  poivre.  Pie, 
unpate.  Pickled  gherkins,  des  cornichons.  Pickled  salmon, 
du  saumon  marine.  Poultry,  de  la  volaille.  Pullet  (fat), 
une  poularde ;  (leg  of),  une  cuisse  ;  (wing  of),  une  aile. 
Pork,  du  pore.  Salt,  du  set.  Sausages,  des  saucisses.  Sweet- 
bread, un  ris  de  veau.  Saveloy,  un  cervelas.  Sweetmeats, 
des  honbo7is.  Sugar-plums,  des  dragees.  Syrup,  du  strop. 
Sherbet,  du  sorbet.  Soda-water,  I'eau  de  seltz.  Soup,  le 
potage ;  (gravy),  du  consomme ;  (meat),  la  soupe  grasse ; 
(vegetable),  la  soupe  maigre.  Stew,  tm  ragoiit.  Tripe,  des 
tripes.  Veal,  du  veau;  (loin  of),  une  longe  de  veau; 
(fillet  of),  une  rouelle  de  veau  ;  (knuckle  of),  un  j arret  de 
veau;  (^2iXdQdi)iUnfricandeau.  VmtgdiX,  duvinaigre.  Yeast, 
le  kvain. 

Some  one  rings,  quelqu'un  sonne. 
Go  and  see  who  it  is,  allez  voir  qui 
c'est  Who's  there?  qui  est  Ik?  A 
poor  boy,  un  pauvre  gar9on.  Are  you 
hungry?  avez-vous  faim?  I  have  not 
eaten  anything  to-day,  je  n'ai  rien  man- 
g^  aujourd'hui.  I  am  very  hungry,  j'ai 
grand'  faim.  Are  you  thirsty  ?  avez-vous 
soif  ?  I  am  thirsty,  j'ai  soif.  Take  a 
glass  of  beer,  prenez  un  verre  de 
biere.  I  drink  to  your  health,  je  bois 
k  votre  sant^. 

The  Hour. — What  time  is  it? 
quelle  heure  est-il?  or  savez-vous  quelle  heure  it  estl  It  is 
10  o'clock,  //  est  dix  heures.  10  m.  past  ten,  it  est  dix 
heures  et  dix.  \  past  10,  dix  heures  et  un  quart.  ^  past 
10,  dix  heures  et  det?tie.  |--  to  11,  onze  heures  moins  un 
quart.  5  m.  to  11,  //  est  onze  heures  moins  cinq  minutes. 
At  about  \  past  2,  vers  deux  heures  et  demie.  Listen,  the 
4  hour  strikes,  koutez^  voUol  la  demie  qui  sonne.  It  must 
be  near  1 2,  or  midday,  //  doit  etre  prh  de  midi.  Mid- 
night, minuit.  My  watch  has  stopped,  ma  montre  est 
arretee.  Does  your  watch  go  well  ?  votre  77wntre  va-t-elle 
bien  2  Wind  it  up,  mo7itcz-la.  I  have  forgotten  my  key, 
y'a/  oublie  ma  clef.    Try  mine,  essay  ez  la  mienne.  The  clock 


'^^  Drtirfs  French  Grammar 

is  not  going,  Vhorloge  ne  va  pas.  There !  the  clock  strikes, 
voila  rhorloge  qui  sonne.  It's  a  little  slow,  elk  retarde  un 
pcu.  It's  late,  //  est  tard.  Is  it  late  ?  est-il  tardl  It  is 
not  late,  //  tCest  pas  tard.  It  is  early,  il  est  de  bonne 
heure.  Later  than  I  thought,  plus  tard  queje  ne  pensais. 
When  do  you  think  of  going  out  ?  quand  pensez-vous 
sortir  ?    We  must  go  home,  ilfaut  rentrer  d  la  maison. 

Salutations,  &c.  Good  morning,  sir,  bonjour^  mon- 
sieur. How  do  you  do  ?  comment  vous  portez-vous  ?  I 
am  very  we\\,je  meportefort  bien.  What  pleasure  to  see 
you,  quel  plaisir  de  vous  voir.  You  are  very  kind,  vous 
etes  bien  bon.  How  is  the  health  ?  comjnent  va  la  sante  ? 
I  am  exceedingly  well,  thank  you,  and  you  ?  Je  me  porte 
a  merveille^  merct  bien^  et  vous  ?  Please  take  a  chair, 
veuillez  prendre  un  siege.  Much  obliged,  bitn  oblige.  What 
news  is  there  ?  qu'est-ce  qtiily  a  de  7iouveau  1  Nothing  that 
I  know  of,  rien  queje  sache.  Have  you  received  any  news  ? 
avez-vous  re^u  des  nouvelles?  How  are  your  father  and 
mother  ?  comtnent  se portent  Mon.  votre  pere  et  Mme.  votre 
mere  1  My  mother  is  not  well,  ma  mere  ne  se  porte  pas  bien. 
How  long  has  she  been  ill  ?  depuis  quarid  est-elle  malade  ? 
Since  a  fortnight,  depuis  quinze  jours.  I  am  sorry  for  it, 
j'ensuisfdche.  Your  sister,  is  she  still  unwell?  Mile,  votre 
sceur  est-elle  encore  indisposee?  She  is  quite  recovered, 
elk  est  tout  d  fait  retablie.  I  cannot  remain  longer,  y>«^ 
saiirais  demeurer  plus  longtemps.  You  are  in  great  haste, 
V071S  etes  bien  press'e.  I  have  some  business  to  attend  to, 
j'at  des  affaires  d  faire.  We  shall  have  the  pleasure  to 
see  you  again  soon,  nous  aurons  le  plaisir  de  vous  revoir 
bientot.  In  a  few  days,  dans  quelques  jours.  As  soon  as 
possible,  le  plus  tot  possible^  or  que  je  pourrai. 

Hotel. — I  want  a  room,/^  desire  une  chambre.  What 
kind  of  room  ?  quelle  chambre  desire  monsieur  ?  A  bed- 
room, une  chambre  d  coucher.  What  is  the  charge  ?  quel 
est  le  prix  ?  It  is  lo  fr.  a  day,  dest  dix  francs  par  jour. 
That  is  too  dear,  c'est  trop  cher.  I  would  not  give  beyond 
five  ir2x\Q.s.,jen^yveux  mettre  que  cinq  francs.  The  bed, 
is  it  good  ?  le  lit  est-il  bon  ?  I  will  eat  something,  je 
mangerai  quelque  chose.  Show  me  the  bill  of  fare,  montrez- 
mui  la  carte  dujour.     What  time  will  dinner  be  ready  ?  d 


m  an  Amtising  Point  of  View. 


77 


quelle  heure  le diner  sera-til pret  ?  I  would  have  a  beef- 
steak, je  voudrais  un  bifteck.  I  like  it  well  done,  je 
Paiffie  tres-cuii;  (underdone),  je  Vaime  saignant.  Where  is 
the  post-box  ?  oil  est  la  botte  aux  letti-es  ?  Can  you  get 
me  a  guide  ?  pouvez-voiis  me  procurer  un  guide  1  I  will 
engage  him  for  two  or  three  days,  je  Pengagerai  pour 
deux  ou  trois  jours.  What  is  his  charge  ?  quel  est  son 
_ --^'r  ?    Very  well,  I  am  content,  trh-bien,je  suis  satis  fait. 

ve  me  the  key  of  my  room,  donnez-moi  la  clef  de  771a 
chambre.  Can  I  enter  at  all  hours  ?  ptds-je  rentrer  a 
toute  heure  1  I  leave  to-morrow,  je  partirai  demain.  I 
desire  to  settle  my  bill,  je  desire  regler  ma  note.  Can  you 
tell  me  if  the  steamer  leaves  to-morrow  ?  pouvez-vous  me 
dire  si  le  bateau  a  vapeur  part  demain  ? 

Bed-time. — I  want  to  go  to  bed  immediately, />  z/^- 
sire  alter  me  coucher  de  suite.  I  have  a  bad  headache,  j'ai 
une  forte  migraine.  Shall  I  warm  your  bed  ?  voulez-vous 
queje  bassine  votre  lit?  No;  but  I  desire  to  have  a  light, 
7ion;  maisje  desire  avoir  de  la  lumiere.  I  will  place  it  on 
the  mantelpiece,  je  vais  la  mett7'e  sur  la  chemi7iee.  If  you 
feel  indisposed  I  will  pass  the  night  with  you,  si  vous  vous 
sentez  i7ico77imode,  jepasserai  la  nuit  auprh  de  vous.  No,  no, 
go  to  bed,  no7i^  non,  allez  vous  coucher. 


BON  SOIR ! 

Good  night. 


DORMEZ  BIEN. 
Sleep  well. 


78  Drury's  French  Grammar 

THEATRIC. 

The  Germans  have  frequently  claimed  Shakespeare  as  one  of  their  country- 
men. The  question  however  arises  whether  he  was  not  also  a  Frenchman,  seeing 
that  the  following  portion  of  a  play  was  first  discovered  in  France.  Readers 
must  judge  for  themselves  ;  they  will  find,  however,  great  similarity  in  the  names 
of  the  characters.  The  only  supposition  for  its  being  so  (according  to  the  author's 
idea)  is,  that  "it  has  never  yet  appeared  in  any  of  the  complete  editions  of  the 
plays  of  Shakespeare,"  consequently  it  never  had  the  dishonour  of  bemg  rejected> 
as  have  some,  which  as  unmistakably  bespeak  him,  as  does  the  "  Merchant  of 
Venice." 

Mem. — In  the  present  day,  the  French  write  Juliette^  and  the 
Germans  yulietta. 


LE   MIEL  EST   DOUX    MAIS  L'ABEILLE  PIQUE. 
The  honey      is         sweet         but  the  bee  stings. 

Romeo. — Psssst!  Psssst!     Psssst!  Psssst! 
Juliet. — Qui  m'appelle  ?     Who  me  calls  ? 
Romeo. — Ne  me  reconnaissez-vous  pas  ? 
M?t  me      recognize     you   not  f 
Juliet. — C'est  vous,  Romeo  ?     This  is  you,  Romeo  ? 
Romeo. — Moi-meme.    Quel  motif  si  important    fait 
Myself.        What  motive  so  important  makes 
sortir  si    tot    la     belle     Juliet    de    sa  demeure? 
to  go  out  so  early  the  beautiful  Juliet  from  her     home  1 
Juliet. —  Et  vous-meme,  Romeo,  pourquoi   courez- 
And    yourself       Romeo,        why      go  about 
vous  ainsi  les  champs  a  une  pareille  heure  ? 
you    thus  the    fields  at    a       such    hour? 

Romeo. — Helas  !  le  sommeil  a  fui  depuis  longtemps 
Alas!  {the)  sleep  has  fled  since  long  time 
mon  chevet  solitaire  ;  le  soin  de  mes  brebis  ne  me  touche 
my  bolster  solitary  ;  the  care  of  my  sheep  not  me  conceims 
plus;  j'ai  perdu  I'appetit;  je  suis  malade. 
more ;  I  have  lost  the  appetite ;  I  am  ill, 
Juliet. — Immolez  un  coq  k    Esculape. 

Sacrifice    a  cock  to  ^sculapius. 
Romeo. —  Esculape    ne  saurait  me  guerir. 
^sculapius  not  could  me    aire. 
Juliet. — Quelle  est  done  cette  terrible  maladie? 
What   is    then    this  terrible  malady  i 
Romeo. — II  est  un  dieu,  Juliet,  un  dieu  malin,      qui 
He  is    a    God,  Juliet,   a    God  evil,      who 


in  ait  A  musing  Pohit  of  View.  79 

prend  plaisir  k  tourmenter  les  mortels  infortunes ;  il 
takes  pleasure  to  torment  the  moi'tals  unfortunate ;  he 
rode  sans  cesse  autour  de  nos  demeures,  et  quand 
roams  without  ceasing  around  of  our  homes,  and  whe?i 
il  apergoit  un  gaillard  frais,  robuste,  bien  portant,  il 
he  perceives  a  felloiUy  ruddy,  robust,  in  good  health,  he 
tire  de  son  carquois  une  fleche  empoisonnee  et  la 
draius  front  his  quiver  an  arrow  poisoned  and  it 
lance  contre  lui.  Aussitot  le  malheureux  ne  dort 
shoots  against  him.  hnmediately  the  uifortunate  not  sleeps 
plus,  ne  mange   plus;    il  s'^tiole,         il  maigrit,    il 

more,  not  eats  more;  he  hi7nself  etiolates,  he  thins,  he 
erre  dans  les  champs  comme  un  insense ;  il  est  atteint 
wanders  in  the  fields  like  a  inadman;  he  is  touched 
de  ce  mal  terrible,  qui  fait  souffrir  plus  que  tous 
of  this  evil  terrible,  which  makes  to  suffer  more  than  all 
les  autres  maux. 
the  other    evils. 

Juliet. — Comment  Tappelez-vous  ?    How  it  call  you  2 

Romeo. — Uamour.     The  love. 

Juliet. — Vous  voulez  rire,  mon  cher  ?  Tamour  faire 
You  will  Jest,  my  dear'i  the  love  to7?iake 
souffrir !  c'est  impossible.  L'amour  est  un  baume,  un 
to  suffer!  it  is  impossible.  The  love  is  a  bahti,  a 
parfum,  un  philtre,  tout  ce  qu'il  y  a  de  plus 
perfume,  a  philter,  all  this  that  he  thei'e  has  of  most 
salutaire,  de  plus  doux,  de  plus  enivrant  sur  la  terre. 
wholeso?ne,  of  most  sweet,  of  most  infatuating  on  the  earth. 
L'amour  peuple  le  sommeil  de  reves  charmants ;  au 
The  love  peoples  the  sleep  with  dreams  charming ;  in- 
lieu  de  d^cocher  les  fl^ches  empoisonnees,  ce  dieu, 
stead  of  to  discharge  the  arrows  poisoned,  this  God, 
que  vous  fletrissez  de  I'e'pithete  de  malin,  voltige  aupres 
whom  you  brand  of  the  epithet  of  evil,  flutters  near 
de  nous,  rafraichit  notre  visage  avec  ses  ailes  par- 
of  us,  refreshes  our  countenance  with  his  wings  per- 
fumees,  et  fait  retentir  une  musique  divine  a  nos 
fumed,  and  makes  to  sound  a  music  divine  at  our 
cotes.  On  n'est  jamais  malade  de  l'amour. 
sides.       One    not  is  never       ill    from  the  love. 


8o  Di'ury's  French  Grammar 

Romeo. — Qui  vous  I'a  dit  ?     Who  you  it  has  toldl 

Juliet. — Dromio.     Dromio, 

Romeo. —  Le    gredin !     je    m'en    doutais  .... 
The  scoundrel!  I  me  of  it  suspected .... 

Juliet. — Vous  dites  ?     You  say  ? 

Romeo, — Je  dis  que  vous  avez    tort    de  parler  avec 
/  say  that  you   have  wrong  to   speak  with 
Dromio. 
Dromio. 

Juliet. — Pourquoi?     Why? 

Romeo. — Parceque   c'est   un  farceur  qui   ne  cherche 
Because  it  {he)  is  a  farcer  who  only       seeks 
qu'k      tromper  les  jeunes      bergeres. 
than  to  deceive    the  young  shepherdesses, 

Juliet. — Ah  !  bah  !     Ah  !  bosh  ! 

Romeo. — C'est  comme  j'ai    Thonneur  de  vous  le  dire. 
//  is     as    I  have  the  honour  of  you  it  to  say. 

Juliet. — Vraiment !     Truly  ! 

Romeo. — Laissons  ce  sujet,  Juliet;  venez  plutot 
Drop  this  subject^  Juliet ;  come  rather 
sous  cet  ombrage,  et  Ik,  assis  sur  I'herbe  tendre,  je 
under  this  shadow,  and  there,  seated  on  the  grass  tender,  I 
vous  dirai  ce  que  c'est  que  I'amour. 
you    will  tell  that  which   it  is     as    the  love. 

Juliet. — Vous  me   I'avez     dit;    I'amour,        selon 

You  7?ie  it  have  said ;  the  love,  according  to 
vous,  est  quelque  chose  qui  empeche  de  dormir  et 
you,  is  some  thing  what  prevents  of  to  sleep  and 
de  manger,  qui  fait  maigrir  et  force  les  gens  k 
of  to  eat,  which  makes  to  thin  and  forces  the  folks  to 
se  promener  toute  la  journee  dans  les  champs. 

themselves    to    walk     all    the       day      in    the      fields. 
J'aime  mieux  I'amour       selon       Dromio. 
I  like    better  the  love  according  to  Dromio. 

Romeo. — Suivez-moi  dans  ce  bosquet,  et  je    cesserai 
Follow  me    in   this  grove,   and  I  shall  cease 
de  souffrir. 
to    suffer. 

Juliet. — Vous  croyez?     You  think  so  ? 

Romeo. — J'en  suis  sur.     /of  it  am  sure. 


in  an  Amiisitxg  Point  of  Vieiv.  8 1 

Juliet. — Je  ne  vois  pas  pourquoi  je  ne  vous  rendrais 
I  not  see  not  why  I  not  you  should  render 
pas  ce  petit  service ;  d'autant  plus  que  je  me  sens  tres- 
not  this  little  service;  the  rather  more  that  I  me  feel  very 
fatigu^e;  asseyons-nous  done  sur  I'herbe.  Etes-vous 
fatigued ;  let  set  us  then  on  the  grass.  Are  you 
mieux  ? 
better? 

Romeo. — Blen  mieux.     Much  better. 
Juliet. — L'amour  s'en  va  ?     The  love  itself  goes  away  1 
Romeo. — Au        contraire,  il  augmente. 
On  the  contrary,  it  augments. 
Juliet. — Je   ne  vous  comprends  plus.     L'amour  est 
/  not  you    understand  more.     The  love     is 
una  maladie,  et   quand  elle  augmente  vous  vous  trouvez 
an      illness^  and  when  she   augments  you   you        find 
mieux. 
better. 

Romeo. — Oui.     Yes. 
Juliet. — J'en      suis  charm^e  pour  vous. 
I  of  it  ain  delighted  for   you. 
Romeo. — Juliet!    fuliet! 
Juliet. — Romeo  !     Romeo  ! 

Romeo. — Vos  yeux  sont  doux.      Your  eyes  are  sweet, 
Juliet. — Dromio  me  le  disait     hier. 

Dromio  me  it  said  yesterday. 
Romeo. — Votre  bouche  est  divine. 
Your    7?iouth    is  divine. 
Juliet. — Charles  me  le     dira     ce      soir. 

Charles  me  it  will  say  this  evening. 
Romeo. —  Vos  joues  ont        I'^clat       de   la  rose    et 
Your  cheeks  have  the  splendour  of  the  rose  and 
la    blancheur   du     lait. 
the  whiteness  of  the  milk. 
Juliet. — Chut !     Hush  ! 
Romeo. — Quoi  done  ?     What  then  ? 
Juliet. — N'entendez-vous  pas  du    bruit   derriere  la 
Not  hear    you     not  some  noise    behind  the 
charmille  ? 
hedge  ? 


S2  Dritrys  French  Grammar 

Romeo. —  Sans  doute  quelque  nymphe  vous  aura 
Without  doubt  some  nymph  you  will  have 
vue,  et  pleine  de  depit,  elle  agite  les  branches  en 
seen,  and  full  of  envy,  she  moves  the  branches  in 
s'enfuyant. 
herself  fleeing. 

Juliet. — C'est  possible.     It  ts  possible. 

Romeo. —  J'ai     dans  mon  etable  quatre    chevreaux 

I  have     in      my     stable    four    young  goats 

qui       ont   a  peine  brout^   le   cytise  du  Mont  Aliphere. 

which  have  scarcely  browzed  the  cytisus  of  Mount  Aliphere. 

Juliet. — Ah  !     Ah  ! 

Romeo. — Cinq   genisses   blanches    comme    la   neige, 
Five     heifers        white         as       the  snoiv^ 
errant      dans  mes  prairies. 
running    in     my    fields. 

Juliet. — Tiens!  tiens  !  tiens  !     Well!  well!  well! 

Romeo. — Mon  oncle,  le  vieux  Benvolio,    a    pas  mal 
My    uncle,  the    old    Benvolio,  has  not  bad 
de  fonds  places  sur  la  banque  d'Athenes. 
of  funds  placed  on  the     bank    of  Athens. 

Juliet. —   Ou     voulez-vous  en   venir? 
Where    will    you    it  drive  at  ? 

Romeo. —  A  vous   offrir  tout  cela,  si  vous  voulez  me 
To  you  to  offer  all   that,  if  you     will     me 
suivre. 
folloiv.  ■' 

Juliet. — Ou  done?     Where  then  1 

Romeo. —  A  I'autel  de  Thymenee.  Crois-moi, 
To  the  altar  of  the  Hymen.  Believe  me, 
Juliet,  ni  Dromio  ni  ^geon  ne  t'aimeront  autant 
Juliet,  neither  Dromio  nor  ^geonnot  thee  will  love  so  inuch 
que  moi.  Est-il  dans  la  contree  un  berger  qui  puisse 
as  me.  Is  there  in  the  country  a  shepherd  who  can 
m'etre  compare?  qui  peut  me  disputer  la  palme  du 
7ne  to  be  co7npared1  who  can  me  dispute  the  palm  of  the 
chant?  Aux  derniers  jeux  n'ai-je  pas  remporte  le 
song'i  At  the  last  games  not  have  I  not  carried  off  the 
prix  du  baton  ?  Tu  seras  ma  sultane,  mon  Anda- 
prize  of  the  baton 'i    Thou  wilt  be  my  sultana,    7ny  An  da- 


in  an  A  musing  Point  of  View.  83 

louse.       Veux-tu    me    marier  ?      de  grace  reponds-moi ! 
lusian.     Wilt  thou  me  to  many  ?    of  grace  answer  me  / 
Juliet. — Adressez-vous  k  ma  mere. 
Address  you  to  7?iy  mother. 
Romeo  {lui  prenant  la  main). — Ah  !  divine  Juliet. 
\her  taki?ig  the  hand). — Ah  /  divine  fuliet. 
Juliet. — Eh  bien,  Monsieur!     Ah^  well^  Sir  I 
Romeo  (  voulant        lui    prendre  la   taille). — O, 

(attempting  to  her  to  take  hold  of  the  waist). — (9, 
delirante  bergere ! 

enrapturing  shepherdess  ! 

Juliet. — A  bas  les  pattes  !     Doivn  the  paws  I 
Romeo. —  Tu    repousses  ton   epoux  ? 
Thou   repellest    thy  husba?id  t 
Juliet. — Vous  ne     I'etes    pas  encore. 

You  not  him  are  7iot    yet. 
Romeo. — Laisse-moi  prendre  sur  tes  levres  un  baiser. 
Let     me   to  take  upon  thy    lips     a     kiss. 
Juliet  {le   repoussant). — ^J'entends  du  bruit  .... 
(him  repelling). —    /  hear  some  noise  .... 
Romeo. — C'est  ce   bois     qui    murmure  de  joie. 
Jt  is  this  wood  which  murmurs  of  Joy. 
Juliet     {se  debattant).    —  Berger,     que  faites-vous? 
(herself  resisting). — Shepherd^  what    do    you  ? 
Romeo   (rembrassa7it).  — Je  cueille  mon  baiser ;   que 
(her  embracing. —  /     cull      my      kiss;     hoiv 
le    miel  est  doux  ! 
the  honey   is  sweet! 

Juliet  (le  souffletant). — Oui,  mais  I'abeille  pique. 

(hi?n  slapping). —  Yes,    but    the  bee   stings. 

La     joue     de     Romeo       se       gonfle ;      la  bergere 

The   cheeii    of    Romeo     itself    swells ;     the    shepherdess 

s^enfuit     derriere  les   saules. 

herself  flies  behi?id  the  willows. 


Une  dame    dont      la  figure,    malgrd     ses   quarante 

A      lady  of  whom  the  face,   in  spite  of  her         forty 

ans,     ^tait  encore  fort    jolie    et    toute  brillante  de     ce 

yearSy  was     still     very  pretty  and    all    brilliant  of  thai 


84  Dniry's  French  Grammar 

vif  ^clat  qu'on  nomme  le  regain  de  la  beaute, 
living  lustre  which  they  name  the  revival  of  {the)  beauty, 
voyant   sa    jeune  bru  qui,  prete  a 

seeing  her  young  daughter-in-law  who,  being  ready  to 
se  rendre   a  un  bal,  jetait  un  coup    d'ceil    sur  une 

herself  to  repair  to  a  ball,  cast  a  glance  of  eye  upon  a 
glace  pour  juger  de  I'effet  de  sa  toilette,  lui 
7?iirror  for  to  Judge  of  the  effect  of  her  toilet,  to  her 
demanda  d'un  air  moitie  serieux,  moitie  souriant : 
asked  with  an  air  half  serious,  half  smiling: 
"  Que  donneriez-vous,  ma  fiUe,  pour  avoir  ma 
*'  What  would  you  give,  my  daughter,  for  to  have  my 
figure  ? "  "  Eh !  ma  m^re,  ce  que  vous  donneriez 
face  ?  "  *'  Eh  /  my  mother,  that  which  you  would  give 
vous-meme  pour  avoir  mon  age." 
yourself       for    to  have  my  age." 


WORDS  WRITTEN  BY  THE  GREAT  PHILOSOPHER 
VOLTAIRE. 

Dieu  a  donne  aux  homines  les  idees  de  la  justice  et  la 
God  has  given  to  {the)  men  the  ideas  of  {the)  justice  and  {the) 
conscience  pour  les  avertir,  comme  il  leur  a  donne  tout  ce  qui 
conscience  for  them  to  warn,  as  he  to  them  has  given  all  that  which 
leur  est  necessaire ;  c'est  la  cette  loi  naturelle  sur  laquelle  la 
to  them  is  necessary;  it  is  there  this  law  natural  on  which  {the) 
religion  est  fondee. 
religion  is  founded. 


La  fortune  la  plus  amie  vous  donne  le  croc-en-jambe ;  (the)  for- 
tune the  most  friendly  you  gives  a  kick  on  the  shins  (trips  one  up). 


Ainsi  de  notre  espoir  la  fortune  se  joue  : 

Tout  s'eleve  ou  s'abaisse  au  branle  de  sa  roue  ; 

Et  son  ordre  inegal  qui  regit  I'univers 

Au  milieu  du  bonheur  a  ses  plus  grands  revers. — CORNEILLE. 

As  it  is  with  our  Hope,  so  Fortune  plays 
With  the  spokes  of  her  wheel — to  drop  or  raise 
He  1  unequal  order  which  rules  the  universe, 
In  the  midst  of  our  joys  has  its  greatest  reverse. 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View.  85 

EXTRACTIC. 

LE   VIN   ENTRE    ET   LA  RAISON   SORT. 

Un  apologue    hebreu,     oil      les  effets    du   vin   sont  exprimes    i 
An    apologue  Hebrew,  where  the  effects   of  wine  are     shown     to 
la      maniere   orientale,    nous    apprend   que     le     patriarche     Noe 
the    manner    Oriental^      us        teaches    that   the   patriarch    Noah 
s'etant  eloigne    un  moment       du        premier    pied  de   la 

himself  being  absented  a  moment  from  the  first  stalk  of  the 
vigne  qu'il  venait  de  planter,  Satan,  transporte  de  joie, 
vine  which  he  came  of  to  plant,  Satan,  delighted  with  joy^, 
s'en  approcha     en  s'ecriant :  ' '  Chere  plante,  je 

himself  of  it  approached  in  himself  exclaiming :  '•'^  Dear  plant,  J 
veux  t'arroser ! "  et  aussitot  il  courut  chercher  quatre 
will  thee  water  P^  and  immediately  he  ran  to  fetch  four 
animaux  differents  :  unagneau,  un  singe,  un  lion,  et  unpourceau, 
animals    different:    a    lamb,     a    monkey,  a  lion,  and  a  hog, 

qu'il  egorgea   tour    a      tour   sur    le        cep,        afin     que    la 

which  he  killed  turn  by  turn  on  the  vine  plant,  so  that  the 
vertu  de  leur  sang     passat     dans  la  seve,  et    se  propageat 

virtue  of  their  blood  might  pass  into  the  sap, and  itself  might  propagate 
dans  les  rejetons. 
in      the  shoots. 

Cette  operation    du     diable  fut   tr^s-heureuse,  et  son  influence 
This   operation  of  the    devil  was  very  successful,  and  its  influence 
s'etendit  4  tous  les    vignobles      du     monde   ainsi    qu'a  leurs 

itself  extended  to  all  the  vineyards  of  the  world  as  well  as  to  their 
produits.  Depuis  lors,  si  I'homme  boit  une  coupe  de  vin,  il 
products.  Since  then,  if  the  man  drinks  one  cup  of  wine,  he 
devient  caressant,  aimable  :  il  a  la  douceur  de  I'agneau,  Deux 
becomes  caressing,  amiable:  he  has  the  meekness  of  the  lamb.  Two 
coupes  le  rendent  vif,  folatre :  il  va  sautant  et  gamba- 
cups  him  render  sharp,  toysome:  he  goes  dancing  and  frisk- 
dant  comme  le  singe.  Trois  lui  communiquent  le  nature! 
ing  like  the  monkey.  Three  to  him  communicate  tlie  nature 
du  lion  :  il  se  montre  fier,  intraitable ;  ii  veut  que  tout 
of  the  lion :  he  himself  shows  fierce,  intractable ;  fu  xvili  that  all 
lui  cede,      il      se         croit     une  puissance,  il        se        dit   en 

to  him  give  in,  he  himself  believes  a  power,  he  himself  says  in 
lui-meme :    "Qui     peut     m'egaler?"  Boit-il     davantage    il 

himself:  "  Who  is  able  me  to  equal? "  Drinks  he  still  more  he 
perd  le  bon  sens,  il  est  incapable  de  se  conduire,  11 
loses  the  good  sense,  he  is  incapable  of  himself  to  conduct,  he 
se  roule    dans    la    fange,     il     n'est     plus    qu'un    immonde 

himself    rolls      in     the  mud,     he    not  is    more  than  a         filthy 
pourceau.        De     la      ce   proverbe  des    sages: 
liog.  From  there  this  proverb  of  the  sages: 

Le    vin    entre    et    la   raison     sort. 
The  wine  enters  and  the  reason  goes  out. 


S6  Drury's  French  Grammar 

**  Le      diner    tue     la  moitie  de  Paris,     et      le      souper    tue 
^^  [The)  dinner  kills  the    half  of  Paris,    and  {the)    supper  kills 
I'autre "    (Montesquieu).     Mais   la    gourmandise  (f )  ne    borne  pas 
the other''\Montesquieu).     But  {the)      gluttony  {not)  limits   not 

ses  funestes  efifets  aux  maladies  ou  a  la  mort  de  ceux  qui 
her  deadly  effects  to  the  diseases  or  to  the  death  of  those  who 
s'y  adonnent ;       elle  engendre  une  foule  de  vices  qui   in- 

themselves  to  her  abandon  ;  she  engenders  a  crowd  of -vices  which  in- 
fluent  d'une  maniere  deplorable  sur  la  moralite.  Combien 
fluence  in  a  manner  deplorable  on  {the)  morality.  How  many 
d'actions  coupables  se  commettent  dans  les  fumees  de  la  di- 
0 factions  faulty  themselves  commit  in  the  heats  {of the)  di- 
gestion,    qui  n'auraient    pas   eu    lieu  k    jeun!  Les  legislateurs 

gestion,  which  {not)  would  have  not  had  place  in  fasting!  The  legislator's 
de  I'antiquite  le  savaient  bien  lorsqu'ils  appelaient  la  dietetique(f) 
of  {the)  antiquity  it  knew  well  when  they  called  in  {the)  abstinence 
a  I'appui  (m)  des  bonnes  moeurs,  en  promulguant  les  lois  de 
to  the  support  of  the  good  manners,  in  promulgating  {the)  laws  of 
regime.  En  Egypte,  en  Grece,  et  ailleurs,  ils  avaient  defendu 
diet.  In    Egypt,  in   Greece,  and  elseivhere,  they     had    forbidden 

de  traiter  les  affaires  importantes  apres  le  repas,  de  peur 
of  to  treat  the  affairs  important  after  the  repast,  for  fear 
qu'il  n'eiit  sur  elles   une   influence   deraisonnable  et 

that  it  not  might  have  on  them  an  influence  unreasonable  and 
perturbatrice.  Excellent  usage  conserve  chez  les  peuples 
disturbing.  Excellent    ctistom  preserved  amongst    the     peoples 

modemes  pour  les  deliberations  des  corps  de  I'Etat,  "  Vous 
modern  for  the  deliberations  of  the  bodies  of  the  State.  *'  You 
vousetonnez      du      nombre    infini    des  maladies,"  s'ecriait 

you   astonish  of  the  number  infinite  of  illnesses,''''  himself  exclaimed 
Seneque;  "comptez  done  les  cuisiniers."  "  Mange  pour  vivre,    et    ne 
Seneca;     ^' count      then  the     cooks  ^        *' Eat     for  to  live,  and  not 
vis  pas  pour  manger." 
live  not  for      to  eatj* 

LA  PETITE  AUMONE  EST  LA  BONNE. 

The      sjnall  charity  is      the     good  one.  ^ 

Proverbe  tres-bien  explique  par  ce  passage  de  I'Evangile  : 
Proverb  very  well  explained  by  this  passage  of  the  Evangelist: 
Jesus  etant  assis  un  jour  pres  du  tronc  des  pauvres  regardait 
Jesus  being  seated  one  day  near  of  the  box  of  the  poor  regarded 
de  quelle  maniere  le  peuple  y  jetait  de  I'argent.  II  vit 
in  what  manner  the  people  there  threw  in  some  money.  He  saio 
plusieurs  riches  qui  y  en  mettaient  beaucoup ;  il  vit  aussi 
many  rich  who  there  of  it  were  putting  much ;  he  saw  also 
une  pauvre  veuve  qui  y  deposait  deux  petites  pieces  de  monnaie 
a  poor  widow  who  there  deposited  two  little  pieces  of  money 
de  la  valeur  d'un    quart    de      sou.  Et    il  appela  ses  disciples, 

of  the  value  of  a  quarter  of  halfpenny.  And  he  called  his  disciples. 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View,  87 

et  il  leur  dit:  **En  verite,  je  vous  le  dis,  cette  pauvre  veuve 
and  he  to  them  said :  *^  In  truth,  I  to  you  it  say ,  this  poor  widorM 
a  mis  plus  que  tous  les  autres,  car  les  autres  ont  mis  ce 
has  put  more  than  all  the  others,  for  the  others  have  put  that 
dont  ils    abondaient ;  mais  elle     a        mis       ce      dont      elie 

of  which  they  abounded ;  but  she  has  put  that  of  which  she 
manquait,  tout     ce       qu'elle     avait  pour      vivre." 

was  in  want  of,  all    that  which  she    had    for    to  live  on. " 

IL  N'Y  A  PAS  DE  METIERS  IGNOBLES. 
There  are  not      any        trades  ignoble. 

Un  metier  ne  met  pas  seulement  k  I'abri  du  besoin ;  il 
A  trade  {noi)  places  not  only  at  the  shade  of  the  want ;  it 
met  encore  a  I'abri  du  vice.  C'est  pour  cela,  que  plusieurs 
places  still  at  the  shade  of  the  vice.  Ifs  for  that,  that  many 
philosophes  ont  pense,  que  les  parents,  quelque  soient 
philosophers  have  thought,  that  {the)  parents,  whatever  may  be 
leur  rang  et  leur  fortune,  devraient  faire  apprendre  a  leurs  en- 
their  rank  and  their  fortune,  should  make  to  teach  {to)  their  chil- 
fants  une  Industrie  manuelle,  comme  le  recommandait  I'ecole  pha- 
dren  an  industry  manual,  as  so  did  recommend  the  school pha- 
risienne  des  Juifs,  par  cette  maxime  rapportee  dans  le  Talmud  : 
risean  of  the  Jews,  by  this  maxim  related  in  the  Talmud: 
"Qui  ne  donne  pas  une  profession  a  ses  enfants  les  prepare' 
"  Who  {not)  gives  not  a  profession  to  his  children  them  prepares 
a  une  mauvaise  vie. "  Mahomet  a  recommande  aussi  k  tous  les 
for  a  bad  life."  Mahomet  has  recommended  also  to  all  {the) 
Musulmans,  meme  aux  fils  des  rois,  d'apprendre  un  metier  et 
Mussubnans,  even  to  the  sons  of  kings,  {of)  to  learn  a  trade  and 
d'y  travailler  quelques  heures  chaque  jour.  Les  Turcs  disenti  ce 
of  to  it  to  work  several  hours  ecuh  day.  The  Turks  say  on  this 
sujet :      "II        n'y  a  pas       de     metiers  ignobles,  des  qu'ils 

subject:  ^^  {It)  there  are  not  any  trades  ignoble^  since  that  [they) 
peuvent  servir     a   la   societe." 

may  be  able  to  serve    {to  the)  society." 

II  y    des  metiers  si  nobles    qu'on     ne  peut   les    faire   pour 

There  are  some  trades  so  noble  that  one  not  may  them  do  for 
de  I'argent  sans  se  montrer  indigne  de  les  faire ;  tel 
{some)  money  without  himself  to  show  unworthy  {of)  them  to  do;  such 
est  celui  de  I'homme  de  guerre  ;  tel  est  celui  de  I'instituteur. 
is  the  one  of  the  man  of  war  {soldier);  such  is  the  one  of  {the)  tutor. 
—J.  J.  Rousseau,  Emile. 

ANCIENT  RITUALISTIC  PROVERBS. 
Folle   est   la  brebis  qui     au     loup      se      confesse ;  folk  est  la 
Silly     is  the    sheep  who  to  the  wolf  herself  confesses ;  silly  is  the 

poule   qui      au     renard      se       confesse ;  derriere  la  croix  souvent 

hen      who  to  the   fox    herself  confesses;    behind  the  cross       often 

se  tient    le  diable. 

himself  holds  the  devil. 


S8  Drury^s  French  Grammar 


REPETITION   EXERCISES. 

CHAQUE  OISEAU  TROUVE  SON  NID  BEAU. 

each      bird        finds    his  nest  beautiful. 


le  bouvreil  (m),  bullfaich. 
chaque  (pronoun),  each,  every. 
un  oiseau  (m),  a  bird. 

de  passage,  a  bird  of  passage. 

I'oiseleur  (m),  the  bird  catcher. 

a  vol  d'oiseaux,  as  the  bird  flies. 

tirer  aux  oiseaux,  to  shoot  at  the  birds. 

chasse  aux  oiseaux,  the  chase  or  shooting  at  birds. 

c'est  I'oiseau  qui  chant,  it's  the  bird  which  sings. 

trouver  (v.  a.),  to  find,  to  seek. 

aller  trouver  quelqu'un,  to  go  to  find  someoody. 

se  trouver  mal,  to  find  oneself  unwell. 

son  (m.  adj.),  sa  (f),  ses  (pi.),  his,  hers,  theirs.  {Seepage  33.) 

le  son  (noun,  mas.),  the  sound ;  le  son  du  tambour,  the 

beat  of  the  drum. 
un  nid  (m),  a  nest. 

beau  (adj.  m),  belle  {i\fine,  beautiful. 
e  beau  temps,  the  fine  weather. 
le  beau  monde,  vciQ2iYimgfashionable  people, 
line  belle  figure,  a  fine  face. 


in  an  Amusing  Pouit  of  View. 


89 


beau  (adverb),  tout  beau,  gently,  softly. 

vous  avez  beau  dire,  you  have  fine  speech,  or  meaning,  "  say 

IV  hat  you  like"  or,  ^^you  speak  in  vain!^ 
cnanter  (v.  a.),  to  sing,  to  praise,  to  warble,  to  crow. 
le  chant  (m)  d'un  oiseau,  the  song  of  a  bird, 

du  coq,  cock  crowing. 

un  maitre  a  chanter,  singing  master. 
chanter  faux,  to  sing  falsely,  out  of  tune. 
chansonnier  (m),  chansonni^re  (f),  songster. 
un  oeuf  (m),  egg. 
les  oeufs  dans  le  nid,  the  eggs  in  the  nest. 

frais,  the  eggs  new,  fresh  eggs. 

poches,  poached  eggs. 

brouilles,  buttered  eggs. 

un  oeuf  \  la  coque,  an  egg  in  the  shell  lightly  boiled. 
oeuf  de  Paque,  Easter  egg. 


LA      CHASSE      AU      RENARD. 

the     chase    to  the       fox. 


les  chasseurs,  tJie  hunters. 

le  chien  (m),  the  dog. 

les  chiens  de  chasse,  the  dogs  of  chase,  or  hounds. 

le  chasse  chien,  whipper  in, 

les  chevaux  de  chasse,  the  horses  of  chase,  or  hunters, 

le  renard  (m),  the  fox ;  renarde  (f),  vixen. 

agir  en  renard,  to  act  slily  like  a  fox, 

renarder  (v.  n.),  to  play  the  fox. 

une  renardi^re  (f),  afoo^s  earth  hole. 


go 


Drurfs  French  Grammar 


BRITTANY, 

A.D.    1600. 


NORMANDY, 
A.D.  1830. 


EMPIRE, 
A.D.  1796. 


LES  MODES  HiSTORiQUES;  the  fashions  historical. 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View.   '  91 

Dress  and  Fashion.     La  mode  et  k  la  mode. 

To  dress,  vetir,  habiller,  parer. 

£>ress,  habillement  (m),  vetement  (m). 

of  woman's  hair,  coiffeur  de  femme  (m). 

07u's  own  hair,  se  coiffer. 

maker,  sempstress,  couturiere  (f),  costumier  (m). 

Dresser,  valet  de  chambre  (m),  femme  de  chambre  (f). 
of  hair,  coiffeur  (m),  coiffeuse  (f). 

Dressing,  parure,  toilette  (f). 

gown,  robe  de  chambre  (f). 

Chacun  fasse  \  sa  mode.     Each  one  makes  to  her  fashion. 

la  mode  {(),  fashion,  msioin. 

etre  de  mode,  to  be  in  fashion. 

suivre  la  mode,  to  folloiv  the  fashion. 

se  mettre  k  la  mode,  to  di-ess  to  the  fashion. 

le  mode  (noun,  m),  "  the  mood^'  must  not  be  confounded 

with  '*  la  mode  "  {see page  16). 
modele  (m),  pattern,  copy. 
habit  (m),  habit,  dress,  garment. 

de  deuil,  dress  of  ?nourning. 

prendre  I'habit,  to  take  the  dress  {of  religion). 
habiller  (v.  a.),  to  dress,  put  on  clothes. 
parer  (v.  a.)  to  deck,  adorn  ;  pare,  adorned. 
parure  (noun,  f),  dress,  attire. 

parure  de  diamants,  set  of  diamonds. 
vetement  (noun,'m),  raiment,  apparel. 
vetir  (v.  a.),  to  dress,  to  clothe  ;  vetu,  clad. 
se  vetir,  to  clothe  one's  self. 
cheveu  (m),  hair  of  the  head. 
coupe  des  cheveux,  cutting  of  hair,  hair-cutting. 
coupe  (m),  cut,  cutting. 
coiffer  (v.  a.),  to  cut,  to  coif,  to  dress  the  hair, 
coiffe  (f),  cap  ;  coiffe  de  nuit  (f),  nightcap. 
se  coiffer,  to  dress  on^s  own  hair. 
coiffeur  (m),  coiffeuse  (f),  hairdresser. 
coiffeur  de  nuit,  dressing  of  night. 
coiffer  une  boutelle,  to  cap  a  bottle. 
etre  coiffe  d'une  opinion,  means  self-opinionated. 
ne  coiffe,  means  lucky,  or  born  with  a  silver  spoon  in  the 
mrnth. 


92  Drury's  French  Grammar 


x.i.i  r 


COURSE  DE  CHEVAUX.   RACE  OF  HORSES. 

two  jockeys  a  terre,  to  earth. 

un  cheval  devant  I'autre,  one  horse  before  the  other 

un  devant  Fautre,  one  before  the  other. 

par-devant,  in  front  of. 

par-devant  et  par  derriere,  before  and  behind 

c\-dQW2inX.,  formerly,  already. 

avant  votre  arrivee,  before  your  arrival. 

prendre  les  devants,  to  go  before. 

tomber  a  terre,  to  fall  to  the  ground,  ^2iy,from  above  it. 

sur  terre,  to  fall  upon  the  ground. 

par  terre,  to  fall  by  the  earth,  whilst  on  the  earth,  or 

stumble  and  fall. 
tomber  de  cheval,  to  fall  from  the  horse. 
etre  jete  \  bas  de  son  cheval,  to  be  thrown  fro7n  his  horse. 
la  tombee  (f),  the  fall  of  day. 
la  chute  des  feuilles,  the  fall  of  the  leaves. 
par  i^i,  this  way.  par  la,  that  way. 

par  oil,  which,  where,  par  de  Ik,  that  side. 

par  le  haut,  upwards.  par  le  bas,  downwards, 

par-dessus,  on,  upon.  par  dessous,  under. 

par  ci  par  la,  here  and  there. 
un  cheval  bien  retif,  a  horse  very  restive. 
un  cheval  de  pur  sang,  a  horse  of  pure  blood. 
le  cavalier,  the  horseman  ;  la  cavaliere,  the  horsewoman. 
ecuyer  (m),  riding-master ;  ecuyere  (f),  horsewoman, 
ecuyer  qui  dresse  les  chevaux,  stableman  who  dresses  the 

horses. 
equitation,  horsemanship;  harnacheur,  harness-maker. 
harnais,  horse  gear ;  harnacher  (v.  a.),  to  harness. 
ferrier  un  cheval,  to  shoe  a  horse. 
le  fouet,  the  whip;  I'ecurie,  the  stable. 
les  dcuyers  (pi.),  the  hand  rails. 


in  an  Amusing  Pomt  of  View. 

UNE   SENTINELLE. 


93 


etre  en  sentinelle,  to  be  on  sentry. 

Every  noun  which  designates  man  is  masculine^  except  sentinelle 
and  vedette^  see  page  12. 


enrager  dans  sa  peau. 
enraged    in   his  skin  {mad). 


94 


Drurfs  French  Grammar 


UN  VAISSEAU 

a  ship 


MARCHAND, 

(merchant), 


LEGER      A  LA 

nimble  to  the 


VIOLE. 

sail. 


un  vaisseau  (m),  a  vessel^  ship. 
un  marchand  (m),  a  merchant. 
marchand  en  gros,  a  merchant  in  wholesale. 

en  detail,        retail. 

en  fer,  iron. 

leger  (adj.,  m),  legere  (adj.,  f),  light,  nimble, 
avoir  la  tete  legere,  to  have  the  head  light,  or  giddy. 
la  voile  (f),  the  sail ;  fair  voile,  to  make  sail. 

mettre  k  la  voile,  to  set  sail ;  deployer  les  voiles,  to  unfurl 

the  sails. 
foncer  de  voile,  to  crowd  sail. 
le  voile  (m),  the  veil ;   prendre  le  voile,  to  take  the  veil ; 

Jeter  un  voile  sur,  to  throw  the  veil  over. 
mer  (f),  sea;  pleine  mer,  high  water ;  basse  mer,  ebb. 
outre  mer,  over  sea  ;  mettre  k  la  mer,  to  put  to  sea. 
la  cote  de  la  mer,  the  coast  of  the  sea. 
un  tableau  de  mer  (m),  «  picture  of  the  sea. 
sel  marin  (m),  sea  salt. 

le  mal  (m)  de  mer,  the  sickness  of  the  sea,  or  seasick. 
la  mer  calm,  the  sea  quiet ;  la  mer  orageuse,  the  sea  storj?iy. 
poisson  de  mer,  fish  of  the  sea;  oiseau  de  mer,  bird  of  the  sea. 
la  vague  (f),  the  wave,  billow  ;  vagues  de  la  mer,  waves  of 

the  sea. 
la  cote  (f),  sea  coast,  must  not  be  confounded  with  la  cote 

(f),  which  means  ^^ quotation, ^^  from  coter,  to  quote ; 

nor  le  cote  (m),  meaning  side  ;  de  man  cote,  on  my  side. 


m  an  Amusing  Pomt  of  View. 


95 


hors  (pronoun),  out. 
hors  de  combat,  disabled. 
hors  de  raison,  out  of  reason^  unreasonable. 
hors  de  blame  et  de  soup9on,  free  from  blame  and  sus- 
picion. 
hors  d'heure,  out  of  iimey  late^  beyond  the  hour. 
hors  la  ville,  out  of  town. 

de  saison,  out  of  season. 

de  doute,  without  doubt. 

de  soi-meme,  out  of  one's  self  or  senseless. 

de  prix,  out  of  price  {very  dear). 

d'oeuvre  (pi.)}  ^i^^  dishes,  dainties. 

de  (prep.),  offrom^  by,  with,  some. 

en  moins  de  deux  heures,  in  less  than  two  hours. 

de  bien  en  mieux,  better  and  better. 

de  bon  vin,  of  good  wine,  some  good  wine. 

trop  de  vin,  too  much  wine. 

le  de  (m),  the  thimble. 

combat  {m),  fight,  struggle. 

combattre  (v.  a.),  to  combat,  to  engage,  to  fight. 

combat  litteraire,  literary  contest. 


96 


Drury's  French  Grammar 


MENER  PAITRE         LES         MOUTONS. 

to  drive    to  pasture     the         sheep. 

mener  (v.  a.),  to  lead,  to  conduct,  to  drive. 
mener  une  vie  sainte,  to  lead  a  holy  life. 

une  affaire,  to  conduct  business. 

un  cheval  k  la  main,  to  lead  a  horse  by  the  hand. 

quelqu'un  par  le  nez,  to  lead  someone  by  the  nose. 

grand  bruit,  to  make  a  big  noise. 

les  (article,  plural),  the  ;  les  (adj.),  see  page  38. 

paitre  (v.  a.),  to  graze,  to  feed,  to  eat. 

faire  paitre,  to  pasture,  to  grass. 

le  paysage  (m),  the  landscape. 

I'eglise  (m),  the  church. 

le  champ  (m),  the  field. 

de  bataille  (m),  field  of  battle. 

sur-le-champ  (adverb),  immediately. 

un  mouton  (m),  a  sheep  ;  une  brebis  (f),  a  sheep,  ewe. 

cotelettes  de  mouton,  chops  of  mutton. 

pieds  de  mouton,  trotters,  ox  feet  of  sheep. 

peau  de  mouton,  skin  of  sheep. 

un  berger  (m),  «  shepherd. 

une  bergere  (f),  a  shephei'dess. 

la  bergerette  (f),  the  young  shepherdess. 

le  peintre  (m),  the pai?tter. 

la  peinture  (f),  the  picture. 

brave  en  peinture,  brave  in  paintifig,  means  ^^  a  braggart.'' 


in  an  Amusing  Point  of  View, 


97 


Un  portrait  d' Amour. 
A     portrait     of  Cupid. 

Ce     qui     m'oblige  \ 
That  which  me  forces  to 

Taimer,    c'est    qu'il 
him  to  love^  it's  that  he 
me  fait    les  doux  yeux. 
me  makes  the  sweet  eyes. 

LE      MIEL     EST      DOUX, 

the  honey     is      sweet, 

l'abeille  pique. 
the  bee    stings, 
le  miel  (m),  the  ho?iey;  rayon 

de  miel,  honey-comb. 
la  lune  de  miel  (f),  the  moon  of  hoiiey. 
est,  third  person  singular  of  verb  etre,  to  be. 
Test  (m),  the  east  wind^  noun, 
doux  (m.  adjective) — douce  ( fem.  adjective)  sweet. 
l'abeille  (f),  the  bee;  mouche  k  miel  (f),  bee. 
pique  {of  the  verb  active),  piquer,  to  prick,  to  sting. 
piquer  la  curiosite,  to  excite  curiosity. 


Le  larron  court  k  toutes  jambes  devant  Fofficier  de  police. 

The  thief  runs  with  all    legs      before  tJie  officer  of  police, 

Je  cours  \  vous,  /  run  to  you. 

Oil  courez-vous  ainsi  ?  Where  run  you  thus  1 

Qu'est-ce  qui  vous  presse  tant  ? 

What  is  this  which  you  press  so  much  t 

G 


98 


Drury's  French  Grammar, 


le  cheval  (m),  the  horse. 

retif,  restive. 

de  selle,  saddle-horse. 

de  carrosse,  coach-horse. 

monter  k  cheval,  to  ride  on  horseback. 
etre  k  cheval,  to  be  on  horseback. 

cheval  leger  k  la  main,  horse  light  to  the  hand. 

brider  son  cheval  par  la  queue,  bridle  his  horse  by  the  tail^ 

means,  "  to  commence  at  the  wrong  end." 
un  cheval  de  legere  taille,  a  horse  of  good  shape. 
piquer  un  cheval,  to  spur  a  horse. 
mener  un  cheval  k  la  main,  to  lead  a  horse  by  the  hand. 


queue  de  cheval,  tail  of  the  horse. 
cul-de-lampe,  tail  piece  {of  a  book)  or  end. 
la  fin  couronne  Toeuvre,  the  end  crowns  the  work^  or  "  all 
is  well  that  ends  well." 

LA  FIN.      THE  END. 


PARIS. 

If  you  are  desirous  of  studying  real  life  in  Paris  in  a 
short  space  of  time,  turn  out  of  doors  not  later  than 
6  a.m.,  notice  particularly  the  methods  of  cleansing  the 
streets,  go  to  a  public  bath  should  you  need  one,  or  take 
an  early  walk  to  one  of  the  markets,  which  will  con- 
siderably amuse  you,  not  only  by  the  curious  and  strange 
commodities  being  exposed  for  sale,  but  also  by  the  cos- 
tumes and  manners  of  the  country  people.  From  6  to  8 
a.m.  in  the  business  streets  the  various  shops  will  be 
opening ;  you  can  notice  the  movements  of  the  working 
classes,  also  the  fascinating  shop  girls  hurrying  to  their 
daily  occupations  ;  by  which  time  you  will  have  gained  an 
appetite  for  breakfast  at  a  cafe.  Cafes  are  well  worth 
visiting  ;  they  are  pleasant  places  at  all  times  where  real 
life  in  Paris  may  be  seen  and  cheap  refreshments  ob- 
tained; for  breakfast,  a  large  cup  of  milk  coffee  with 
bread  can  be  had  for  i  franc.  You  can  scan  through 
the  daily  papers  there  if  you  can  read  them,  or  pretend 
to  do  so  if  you  cannot,  whilst  you  watch  the  exquisite 
politeness  of  the  waiters,  &c.,  &c.  (never  forget  to  give  the 
value  of  id.  or  2d.  to  the  waiters).  These  cafes  are  con- 
venient places  to  rest  your  weary  limbs  when  tired  with 
walking;  you  can   take  a  seat  outside  and  watch  the 


passers-by  at  the  price  of  a  glass  of  beer  or  wine.  About 
mid-day  should  you  be  near  the  Palais  Royal  and  where 
there  are  some  of  the  most  fashio?iable  and  attractive 
shops,  you  will  there  see  in  the  square,  should  the  sun  be 
shining,  a.  number  of  people  anxiously  waiting  or  loitering 
about,  watches  in  hands,  to  regulate  them  at  12  o'clock 
gunfire.  By  this  time  the  various  public  buildings  will 
have  been  opened  for  visitors ;  you  can  either  slowly  or 
hurriedly  pass  through  one  or  more  of  them,  also  their 
gardens,  or  the  public  promenades  until  near  upon  dinner, 
leaving  yourself  sufficient  time  to  go  and  have  a  wash  and 
brush  up  at  a  barber's ;  then  you  will  be  somewhat  re- 
freshed and  comforted  and  capable  of  enjoying  your  real 
meal  of  the  day.  Do  not  take  or  expect  a  large  assort- 
ment of  dishes  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  have  a  light 
lunch  and  wait  the  usual  dining  hours ;  never  ask  for 
English  dishes,  chops  nor  steaks,  or  you  will  be  disappointed 
both  in  price  and  quality.  From  6  to  7  o'clock  p.m.  is  the 
best  time  to  see  Hfe  at  feeding  time ;  dinners  may  be  had 
all  over  Paris  at  prix-fixe  (fixed  prices)  from  i  to  5  francs, 
but  the  Palais  Royal  and  its  neighbourhood  is  the  quarter 
the  most  noted  for  elegance,  &c. ;  for  2  fcs.  50  c.  and 
waiter's  fee  may  be  had  a  dinner  consisting  of  a  plate 
of  soup,  three  courses  at  choice,  one  dessert,  half  bottle  of 
ordinary  wine,  and  as  much  bread  as  you  can  consume. 
If  dining  by  the  carte,  you  can  increase  the  cost  of  your 
dinner  to  any  sum  by  adding  to  your  plates  or  qualities 
of  your  wines.  At  8  o'clock  you  can  be  inside  a  theatre 
or  one  of  the  dancing  rooms  or  gardens,  or  one  of  the 
cafes  or  cafes  chantants,  and  there  remain  until  the  close 
or  not,  as  you  may  think  fit ;  thence  to  your  lodging. 

For  about  5  fcs.  per  day  you  can  engage  one  of  the 
many  hotel  guides,  domestique  de  place  ;  he  will  take  you 
through  Paris  and  the  entire  suburbs  in  a  week.  This  is 
decidedly  the  best  plan  to  adopt  if  you  can  make  up  a 
party. 

Abattoir  for  the  slaughtering  of  animals  is  in  Rue  de 
Flandre.    (A  small  fee  is  expected.) 

Amusements. — Dancing  and  singing  places,  &c.,  open 
at  8  on  stated  evenings.   BuUier,  \  franc;  Chateau  Rouge, 


i  to  2  fis. ;  Cirque  d'Ete,  i  and  2  fcs. ;  Elysee  Mont- 
martre,  2fis. ;  Mabille,  s/^s. ;  Tivoli  Wauxhall,  i  to  2/i:s. ; 
Valentino,  254,  Rue  St.  Honore,  2  to  s/cs.;  Le  Prado,near 
the  Observatory ;  the  Hippodrome,  2/cs. ;  Concert  Besse- 
lievre  ;  Champs  Elysees,  2  /cs. 

Arches. — Arc  de  Triomphe  du  Carrousel;  Arc  de 
TEtoile  ;  Porte  St.  Denis. 

Artesian  Well. — F/ace  de  Breteuil^  near  the  Ecole 
Mihtaire. 

Banks. — Banque  de  France,  opposite  the  Place  des 
Victoii-es^  is  the  National  and  only  Bank  for  France. 
Foreign  bankers:  Ardoin  and  Co.,  10,  Rue Joiibert ;  Bis- 
choffsheim  and  Co.,  39,  Boulevart  Haussviann ;  Callaghan, 
35,  Boulevart  Haussmann ;  Comptoir  d'Escompte,  14, 
Rue  Ba-gere ;  De  Lisle  and  Co.,  17,  Rue  Pasquier ; 
Drexel  and  Co.,  3,  Rue  Scribe ;  Ferrera  and  Co.,  3,  Rue 
Laffitte ;  Fould,  22,  Rue  Bergere ;  Gil,  6,  Boulevart  des 
Capucines  ;  Grindlay  and  Co.,  30,  Boulevart  des  Italiens  ; 
Krauss  and  Co.,  29,  Rue  de  Provence;  Lehideux  and  Co., 
3,  Rue  Drouot ;  Sherbette  and  Co.,  33,  Rue  du  Quatre 
Septembre ;  Mallet  freres,  37,  Rue  d^AnJou  St.  Hanore  ; 
Marcuard,  31,  Rue  Lafayette ;  Muller  and  Co.,  13,  Rue 
Grange  Batelilre ;  Munroe,  7,  Rue  Scribe;  Fillet- Will 
and  Co.,  14,  Rue  Monccy ;  Rothschild,  21,  Rue  Laffitte ; 
Societe  Gendrale,  4,  Place  de  V Opera ;  Tucker  and  Co., 
3,  Rue  Scribe ;  Vernes,  29,  Rue  Taitbout ;  Cheque  Bank, 
30,  Botdevart  des  Italiens. 

Cab  Fares.— Inside  the  fortifications,  for  two  or  three 
persons,  \  fc.  50  c.  the  drive,  or  2  fcs.  the  hour;  for  four 
or  five  persons,  1  fc.  70^.  the  drive,  or  2  fcs.  25  <:.  the 
hour;  for  each  package  or  box,  25^.  extra;  after  mid- 
night prices  are  about  double. 

Catacombs. — These  extend  under  a  great  part  of 
Paris  and  may  be  viewed  occasionally  by  asking  per- 
mission from  the  Prefet  de  la  Seine ;  it  requires  some 
influence,  as  permission  is  not  freely  given.  The  chief 
entrance  is  in  the  Rue  de  la  Tombe-Issoire ;  the  walls 
throughout  are  lined  with  skulls  and  human  bones  ar- 
ranged in  order  and  devices,  and  even  chapels  are  built 
with  them. 


Churches. — Cathedral  of  Notre  Dame,  La  Madeleine, 
Pantheon,  St.  Ambroise,  St.  Augustin,  St.  Etienne  du  Mont, 
St.  Eustache,  St.  Germain  I'Auxerrois,  St.  Germain  des 
Pres,  St.  Gervais,  St.  Jacques  du  Haut  Pas,  St.  Laurent,  St. 
Paul,  St.  Roch,  St.  Sulpice,  St.  Vincent  de  Paul,  Ste. 
Chapelle,  Ste.  Clotilde,  Ste.  Genevieve,  Sorbonne,  Trinite, 
Val  de  Grace.  American  Chapels:  21,  Rice  de  Berri, 
and  17,  Rue  Bayard.  Church  of  England:  5,  Rue  d'A- 
guesseau;  10  bis  Avenue  Marboeuf;  -^^^RueBoissy  d^Anglas. 
Church  of  Scotland  :  162^  Rue  de  Rivolt.  Congregational: 
23,  Rue  Roy  ale  and  70,  Avenue  de  la  Grande  Armee. 
Wesleyan  :  4,  Rue  Roquepine. 

Embassies  and  Consulates. — America  :  95,  Rue 
de  Chaillot;  3,  Rue  Scribe.  Argentine :  5,  Rue  de 
Berlin;  13,  Rue  Grange  Bateliere.  Austria:  7,  Rue 
Las  Cases;  21,  Rue  Laffitte.  Belgium:  153,  Faubourg 
St.  Honore.  Brazil :  17,  Rue  de  Teheran ;  43,  Rue  du 
Colisee.  Chili :  54,  Rue  Monceau;  26,  Rue  de  Laval. 
Denmark:  37,  Rue  de  I'Universite  ;  53,  Rue  d'Haute- 
ville.  Ecuador :  7,  Rue  Laffitte.  Germany :  78, 
Rue  de  Lille.  Great  Britain,  &c. :  39,  Faubourg  St. 
Honord.  Greece  :  14,  Avenue  de  Messine;  20,  Rue 
Taitbout.  Italy:  127,  Rue  St.  Dominique;  19,  Rue 
Miromenil.  Netherlands:  2,  Avenue  Bosquet;  54, 
Avenue  Josephine.  Nicaragua  :  44,  Avenue  Gabriel; 
34,  Rue  de  Provence.  Paraguay:  10,  Rue  du  Mont 
Thabor ;  19,  Rue  de  Grammont.  Peru  :  56,  Rue  Mon- 
ceau; II,  Rue  de  Milan.  Persia:  65,  Avenue  Jose- 
phine ;  21,  Rue  de  I'Echiquier.  Portugal :  30,  Avenue 
de  Friedland;  66,  Rue  Caumartin.  Russia:  76,  Rue 
de  Crenelle  St.  Germain.  Spain:  25,  Quai  d'Orsay; 
125,  Avenue  des  Champs  Elysees.  Switzerland:  3, 
Rue  Blanche.  Turkey:  17,  Rue  Laffitte.  Venezuela: 
32,  Rue  Poissonniere. 

Environs  of  Paris  by  Rail. — Argenteuil,  Asnibres, 
Autueil,  Bouget,  Buzenval,  Champigny,  Compi^gne, 
Enghien,  Fontainebleau,  Montmorency,  Sceaux,  Sevres, 
St.  Cloud,  St.  Denis,  St.  Germain,  Versailles,  Vincennes. 
Steamers  between  Paris  and  St.  Cloud  and  Suresnes. 

Fountains. — The  chief  of  which  are  Cuvier,  Chateau 


d'Eau,  Crenelle,  Innocents,  Luxembourg,  Molibre,  St. 
Michel,  St.  Sulpice,  and  at  Versailles. 

Galleries  of  Paintings  and  Museums. — The  Luxem- 
bourg for  living  artists  ;  the  Louvre  for  every  style  of  art, 
divided  into  eighteen  different  classes;  the  Hotel  de 
Cluny,  containing  an  Antiquarian  Collection ;  admissions 
any  day  excepting  Monday.  The  Bourbon  Palace  is 
noted  for  its  painted  walls,  ceilings,  and  library  of  200,000 
volumes. 

Cardens  and  Promenades. — Bois  de  Boulogne; 
Buttes  Chaumont ;  Champ  de  Mars ;  Champs  Elysdes  : 
Jardin  d'Acclimatation  of  Wild  Animals;  entrance  \  franc 
week  day,  and  50  centwieson  Sundays  and  holidays.  The 
Jardin  des  Plantes,  which  is  a  botanical  garden  but  contains 
quite  a  number  of  wild  animals,  has  also  a  Chemical  Labo- 
ratory, Cabinets  of  Anatomy  and  of  Natural  History;  the 
entrance  is  free.  Palais  Royal  Square;  Palais  des  Thermes; 
Pare  Monceaux  ;  St.  Cloud  ;  Tuileries  ;  Versailles. 

Institutions  and  State  Properties. — The  Institute 
of  France,  facing  the  Louvre  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
Seine,  is  the  seat  of  the  French  Academy  of  Art,  Litera- 
ture, and  Science.  Hotel  Dieu,  next  to  Notre  Dame  Ca- 
thedral^ is  a  Public  Hospital.  Hotel  des  Invalides  is  for 
military  and  naval  pensioners ;  under  the  dome  may  be 
seen  the  tomb  of  the  Great  Napoleon.  The  Mint  is  at 
the  Hotel  des  Monnaies  on  Quai  de  Conti;  the  manufac- 
turing may  be  viewed  Tuesdays  and  Fridays,  1 2  to  3,  by 
asking  permission  of  the  Director.  There  is  a  valuable  col- 
lection of  coins  and  medals.  Hotel  des  Postes.  The  Gobe- 
lin Tapestry  Manufactory,  254,  Avenue  des  Gobelins,  open 
Wednesdays  and  Saturdays,  i  to  3.  The  Tobacco  Manu- 
factory, 63,  Quai  d^Orsay,  open  daily.  The  Porcelain 
Manufactory  at  Sevres  any  day.  The  National  Printing 
Office,  89,  Rue  Veille  du  Te?nple,  visible  Thursdays,  at  2 
o'clock,  by  permission  of  the  Director. 

Libraries. — Bibliotheque  Nationale,  58,  Rue  Richelieu. 
Mazarine,  at  the  Institute.  Ste.-Genevi^ve,  Place  du  Pan- 
theon. Arsenal,  Rue  de  Sully.  De  la  Ville,  Rue  Sevigne. 
Conservatoire  de  Musique,  1 5  ,Rue duFaubourg-Poissonniere. 
Des  Arts  et  Mdtiers,  Rue  St.  Martin.     L'Ecole  de  Droit 


(k  la  Faculte),  Place du  Panthhn.  L'Ecole  de  Mddecine, 
Rue  de  PEcole  de  Mededne.  Des  Beaux- Arts,  14,  jRue 
Bonaparte.  L'Ecole  des  Mines,  60,  Boulevart  St,  Michel. 
Des  Fonts  et  Chaussees,  28,  Rue  des  Sts.  Peres.  De  I'lnsti- 
tut,  21,  Quai  Conti.  De  I'Universite,  Rue  de  SorbonjiCy 
and  Bourbon  Palace. 

Markets. — Halle  au  Bid.  Halle  aux  Vins.  Halles 
Centrales,  Rue  Berger. 

Measures  and  Weights. — The  kilogramme  ox  kilo  is  the 
ordinary  French  weight,  it  is  equal  to  2lb.  ^oz.  avoirdu- 
pois English.  The  metre  is  the  standard  measure,  being 
39  inches  long  :  it  is  divided  into  100  centimetres.  For  long 
distances  the  M(^;;z^/r^ is  made  use  of,  being  equal  to  -|-  mile 
English.  The  litre,  about  if  pint,  is  a  liquid  and  dry  mea- 
sure ;  the  hectolitre  equals  22  gallons ;  the  hectare  ^o^'dS.^  2\ 
acres. 

Money  consists  in  bronze  of  5  centimes,  termed  a  sou, 
equal  in  value  to  the  American  cent  or  the  English  half- 
penny, and  10  centimes.  Silver,  20  centimes,  50  centimes, 
I  franc  (or  100  centimes),  2  francs,  5  francs.  Gold,  5  francs, 
10  francs,  20  francs.     A  franc  is  equal  to  ^\d.  English. 

Morgue,  for  dead  bodies,  is  situated  in  the  Island  near 
Notre  Dame. 

Newspapers  printed  in  English,  "American  Advertiser," 
daily,  5,  Rue  Scribe.  "American  Register,"  weekly,  2,  Rue 
Scribe.     "  Galignani's  Messenger,"  224,  Rue  de  Rivoli. 

PosTE  Restante. — Rues  Coq-Heron  and  Pagevin. 

Railways. — The  Chemin  de  Per  de  Ceinture  skirts  the 
fortifications  inside,  about  18  miles  in  length;  tickets 
may  be  taken  for  the  whole  circle :  outside  seats  are  the 
best  in  fine  weather.  For  Germany,  Switzerland,  and  the 
Rhine  the  station  of  the  Chemifi  de  Per  de  lEst  is  in 
Place  de  Strasbourg.  For  the  South  of  France,  the 
Pyrenees,  and  Spain  the  station  of  the  Chemifi  de  Per 
d' Orleans  is  Quai  d'Austerlitz.  For  Lyons  and  the  Me- 
diterranean the  station  is  at  Boulevart  Mazas.  For  Nor- 
mandy, Brittany,  and  through  services  to  London  by 
Rouen,  Dieppe,  and  Newhaven,  the  Chemin  de  Per  de 
r Quest  has  stations  in  Rue  St.  Lazare  and  Boulevart 
Mont  Parnasse.     For  Belgium,  Holland,  Germany,  Rus- 


sia,  and  through  services  to  London  by  Lille,  Calais,  and 
Dover,  or  Boulogne  and  Folkestone,  take  the  Chemin  de 
Fer  du  Nord,  station  Place  Roubaix. 

Sundry  Objects. — Chateau  de  Vincennes,  Saturday, 
I  to  4.  Notre  Dame,  12  to  4,  for  50  c,  and  for  the  Tower, 
"  20  c.  each  person.  The  Bourse;  Colonne  de  Juillet; 
Tour  St.  Jacques ;  Colonne  Vendome ;  Dome  du  Pan- 
theon— it  is  customary  to  give  50  ^.  to  the  custodian  to 
mount  these  different  columns. 

Schools. — Ecole  Militaire.  Ecole  des  Beaux-Arts. 
Blind,  56,  Boulevart  des  Invalides.  Deaf  and  Dumb,  256, 
Rue  St.  Jacques. 

Telegraph  Offices  open  day  and  night,  Rue  de  Cre- 
nelle Saint- Germain  and  Palais  de  la  Bourse. 

Theatres,  with  the  number  of  seats  and  the  lowest 
prices  of  admission.  Ambigu,  1,900,  50^.  Ath^nde- 
Comique,  2  fcs.  50^.  Bouffes  Parisiens,  1,200,  i  fc. 
Cluny,  1,100,  ifc.  Chateau  d'Eau,  2,000,  50  c.  Cirque 
d'Hiver,  i  and  2  fcs.  Chatelet,  3,500,  50  c.  Folies  Dra- 
matiques,  1,200,  50  c.  Gaietd,  1,800,  75  c.  Gymnase, 
1,200,  ifc.  25  c.  Historique,  1,700,  50  c.  Italiens,  1,500, 
ifc.  50  c.  Nouveautes,  2fc.  50  c,  Od^on,  1,700,  75  c. 
Op^ra,  2,200,  2fc.  50  r.  Opdra  Comique,  1,500,  1  fc. 
Palais  Royal,  1,000,  2  fcs.  Porte  St.  Martin,  1,800,  75  c. 
Renaissance,  1,100,  50^.  Theatre  Era ngais,  1,400,  ifc. 
Vari^tes,  1,250,  ifc.     Vaudevilles,  1,300,  ifc. 

Tramways  and  Omnibuses. — For  routes  and  fares 
a  guide  may  be  purchased  for  2d.  at  any  of  the  omnibus 
stations. 

Ways  and  Means. — The  geographical  position  of 
Paris  is  similar  to  London,  the  river  Seine  dividing  North 
from  South.  The  Cathedral  of  Notre  Dame  in  the  Island 
may  be  taken  as  the  finger-post  pointing  east  and  west. 
Any  one  provided  with  a  map  of  Paris,  and  a  watch-guard 
charm  representing  a  mariner's  compass  (costing  is.  6d 
in  London),  may  traverse  the  whole  city  of  Paris  without 
asking  a  single  question  as  to  route ;  other^vise,  the  ordi- 
nary policeman  {sergent  de  villi)  is  ever  polite  and  obliging. 
Strangers  in  difficulties  should  always  apply  to  the  com- 
missaire  de  police. 


The  following  letter  was  written  by  the  late  veteran 
French  savant^  Monsieur  Littre,  a  few  weeks  before  his 
death ;  he  was  the  compiler  of  a  Dictionary  of  the  French 
Language,  in  four  large  thick  4to.  volumes,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  Institute  of  France. 


"  Mesnil-le-Roy,  pres  Maison  Laffitte, 
"  Seine  et  Oise,  2  Aout,  1879. 

"  Monsieur, 

*' Votre  livre  est  arrive  dans  un  mauvais  moment  pour 
"  Your    book    is  arrived     in      a        bad  moment      for 

moi;   je  viens  d'etre  fort  malade,  et  ^  mon  age,  surtout 
me ;      I    come  for  to  be  very        ill,      and  at    my      age,  above  all 
quand  on  est  depuis  bien  des  mois  en  proie  a  des  suffrances 
when  one  is      since  many  of  months        prey  to  the    sufferings 
permanentes,  le  retablissement  est  p^nible  et  lent.     Je  me 
permanent,     the  re-establishnunt    is    painful  and  slozv.      I   me 
contente  done  pour  le  moment  de  vous  accuser  reception 
content       then     for  the    present    of    you  to  acknowledge  receipt 
de  votre  envoi,  me  reservant,  si  les  forces  me  reviennent, 
of  your  sending,  me  reserving  myself  if  the  strength  me    returns 
d'en  prendre  plus  ample  connaissance, 
of  it      to  take    more    ample        knowledge, 

Agreez,  Monsieur,  I'assurance 
Accept,         sir,         the  assurance 

de  ma  haute  consideration, 
of  my    high        consideration, 

E.  Littre. 


CRITICAL    CRITICISMS    OF    CRITICS    ON 

DRURY'S  COMICAL  FRENCH 

GRAMMAR. 

tHE  Author  of  the  "  Comical  French  Grammar," 
in  submittingthese  Opinions  of  the  Press,  wishes 
to  call  special  attention  to  the  selection  which 
he  has  culled  from  a  larger  quantity,  not  only 
of  some  which  are  very  favourable,  but  also  those  most 
severe,  leaving  the  reader  to  form  his  own  opinion 
thereon.  He  would,  however,  state  for  himself,  that  he 
never  had  the  least  idea  of  aspiring  to  the  comedy  of 
"  Tom  Hood,"  nor  of  the  author  of  the  "  Comic  Latin 
Grammar;"  his  only  reason  for  terming  it  a  "Comical 
Grammar,"  rather  than  a  "Comic"  one,  was  editorial 
instinct  that,  whereas  grammar  has  ever  been  the  most 
serious  part  of  education,  hence  any  other  style  would  be 
(according  to  Webster's  Dictionary,)  "  divertive^  or  droli, 
laughable^  ludicrous^  ridiculous^  sportive"  whilst  "  Comic 
relates  to  Comedy  as  distinct  from  Tragedy."  He  did 
not  seek  to  set  himself  up  as  a  new  grammarian  ;  he  re- 
grets, however,  that  like  the  old  man  in  the  fable,  he  has 
not  been  able  to  please  everybody.  Some  people  can- 
not see  fun  in  life,  however  funny  it  may  be,  whilst  others 
will  find  it  anywhere  and  everywhere,  although  dulness 
may  abound  ;  still  he  congratulates  himself  that  (excepting 
one  editorial  snub),  he  has  received  some  kind  of  com- 
mendation for  his  grammatical  exertions.  As  an  amuse- 
ment he  commenced  it,  but  with  ideas  that  "  it  might  be 
profitable  for  self-instruction  to  others,"  also  perhaps  "  to 
himself  in  another  form"  he  completed  and  had  it 
printed.  He  believes  that  book  learning  might  be  made 
less  dry,  or  easier.  He  thanks  his  numerous  critics  for 
their  genuine  criticisms  which,  after  all,  are  really  amusing 
and  contradictory,  because  each  editor  has  taken  his  sight 
from  a  different  "  point  of  view,"  whilst  the  author  com- 
piled it  with  a  view  to  amusement  and  instruction  com- 
bined (had  it  been  entirely  Comic  it  could  scarcely  have 
been  useful) ;  thus  he  trusts  the  public  will  be  induced  to 
partake  freely  of  either  the  amusement  or  instruction  in  his 
Comical  Grammar,  as  may  seem  most  adapted  to  their 
tastes,  and  which  they  can  do  through  any  bookseller. 


He  will  state  here  for  the  information  of  those  parties  who 
are  specially  interested  in  the  matter  of  the  genders  of 
FRENCH  NOUNS,  that  he  considers  his  exposition  of  the  same 
to  be  the  most  concise  of  any  yet  printed  in  England.  Some 
grammarians  have  studiously  endeavoured^  by  many  pages 
of  paper  and  prints  to  unravel  that  which  they  deemed  to 
imagine  ^^  a  great  mystery J^  He  believes  that  he  has,  in 
two  pages  (13,  14)  of  his  grammar,  proved  that  there  is 
neither  mystery  nor  difficulty,  but  veritable  ease  in  the  ac- 
quisition of  the  real  knowledge  of  the  same. 

Book  Analyst,  Dec.  13,  1878. 

Those  who  in  their  youth  plodded  wearily  through  the  dull  pages 
of  Hamel  Levizac,  or  Warostrocht,  will  think  the  rising  generation 
very  lucky  in  having  their  road  through  the  intricate  thickets  of 
French  nouns,  verbs,  and  adjectives  made  easy  for  them  by  "Mr. 
Drury's  Comical  French  Grammar."  At  a  first  glance  it  might  be 
thought  from  the  caricatures  scattered  through  Mr.  Drury's  little 
volume  that  he  meant  to  turn  into  ridicule  the  many  eccentricities, 
entorses  as  Figaro  calls  them,  of  the  French  Language,  but  the 
reader  is  soon  undeceived,  for  the  text  is  an  attempt  to  lighten  the 
student's  task  by  giving  a  comical  or  satirical  turn  to  the  phrases 
which  are  intended  to  illustrate  the  author's  teachings,  so  that 
laughter  and  instruction  go  side  by  side.  The  woodcuts,  which  are 
in  the  style  of  the  elder  Hood,  number  over  50,  are  from  the  pencil 
of  the  author.  They  are  as  amusing  as  anything  that  appears  in 
the  so-called  comic  periodicals  of  the  day. 

Bookseller,  Dec.  i,  1878. 

Mr.  Drury  is  quite  right.  The  fun  in  the  little  volume,  both 
verbal  and  pictorial,  cannot  but  aid  an  Englishman  in  acquiring  a 
fairly  good  notion  of  French  as  spoken  in  Paris. 

City  Press,  Dec.  ii,  1878. 
Renders  the  study  of  the  French  language  more  amusing  than  it 
generally  proves. 

Lloyd! s  News,  Jan.  19,  1879. 

We  humbly  confess  that  we  cannot  conceive  what  is  the  meaning 
of  the  "Comical  French  Grammar."  It  is  not  a  bad  grammar, 
and  betrays  a  certain  idiomatic  knowledge  of  the  French  language  ; 
but  there  is  not  an  approach  to  humour  in  any  part  of  it,  and  it  is 
an  irritating  book,  because  you  see  plainly  that  the  author  is  con- 
stantly imagining  himself  to  be  vastly  amusing. 

Pcdl  Mall  Gazette,  Jan.  2,  1879. 

A  ridiculous  attempt  to  lighten  the  difficulties  of  grammar  by  the 
perpetration  of  feeble  jokes.  Mr.  Drury's  tiny  illustrations  are 
considerably  better  than  his  letterpress ;  they  are  also  intended  to 
be  comical,  and  sometimes  the  intention  succeeds. 


Publishers'  Circular,  Dec.  31,  1878. 

"French  in  an  amusing  point  of  vie  w. "  One  remark  only  will 
we  make — Euclid  says  that  a  *'  point  has  no  parts  or  substance,"  the 
grammar,  therefore,  must  be  small  which  is  contained  within  it. 

Saturday  Review^  Feb.  8,  1879. 

Attempts  to  combine  instruction  with  jocosity  are  not,  as  a  rule, 
desirable  or  successful  ;  it  is  fair  to  ls\t.  Drury  to  say  that  in  his 
venture  ii^^is  direction,  there  are  one  or  two  amusing  hits. 

Touchstone,  Nov.  30,  1878. 

We  well  remember  the  "Comic  Latin  Grammar,"  with  its 
marvellous  illustrations  of  syntactical  and  other  rules.  We  call  to 
mind  with  much  pleasure  being  told  how,  under  their  appropriate 
rules,  "  Patres  Conscripti  took  a  boat  and  went  to  Philippi ;  "  but 
alas,  "  Stormum  surgebat  et  boatum  oversetebat. "  "Omnes 
drounderunt,  quia  swim  away  non  potuerunt  ;  "  '*  Excipe  John 
Periwig,  who  was  tied  to  the  tail  of  a  dead  pig."  There  was 
something  amazingly  funny  in  these  and  other  quaintly  comic  Anglo- 
Latin  lines  interspersed  throughout  the  grammar.  The  "Comic 
History  of  England,"  too,  was  eminently  comic  ;  but  this  French 
Grammar,  though  amusing  enough,  is  hardly  comical.  But  though 
it  falls  short  of  the  claim  advanced  on  its  behalf,  it  is,  unquestion- 
ably, a  grammar  which  will  answer  the  purpose  of  the  author,  who 
has  succeeded  in  making  it  *^  amusing,  easy,  sure,  and  useful." 
There  is  no  doubt  that  grammar  taught  in  this  form  is  likely  to  be  re- 
membered by  the  careful  and  earnest  student,  for  dry  rules  and  regula- 
tions are  wearisome  to  study,  just  as  the  master  who  can  enforce 
his  teaching  by  amusing  illustrations  invariably  enlists  the  undivided 
attention  of  his  pupils.  Thus,  though  we  do  not  feel  justified  in 
describing  Mr.  Drury 's  efforts  as  a  French  grammarian  as  he  has 
done,  though  we  have  little  faith  in  the  comicality  of  his  illustra- 
tions, still  we  allow  most  willingly  that  his  grammar  is  really  a  use- 
ful work,  and  likely  to  find  favour,  especially  among  adult  students, 
who  are  often  terrified  out  of  every  attempt  they  make  to  master  it 
by  the  tables,  and  conjunctions,  and  declensions,  &c. 

The  Week,  N<rv.  30,  1878. 

Although  this  is  a  "  comic "  book  there  is  a  serious  purpose 
aimed  at  in  it.  The  author  is  justified  in  saying  that  students  will 
find  in  his  grammar  "  instruction  and  recreation  combined."  He 
gives  his  readers  a  very  fair  insight  into  the  complexities  of  French 
grammar,  and  assists  their  memory  by  presenting  difficult  rules, 
illustrated  by  queer  little  pictures.  He  also  has  a  number  of 
phrases  which  he  probably  desires  his  readers  to  learn  by  heart,  and 
most  of  which  commend  themselves  to  general  approbation.  Here 
is  one: — "Jaimerais  mieux  voir  entrer  chez  moi  une  joliefemme 
qu'un  vilain  creancier."  These  are  the  author's  sentiments,  and 
they  do  him  credit. 


Brighton  Gazette,  Dec.  26,  1878. 
If  ever  there  is  a  royal  road  to  learning,  Mr.  Drury  will  have  laid 
down  a  good  piece  of  the  pavement.  Side-splitting  jokes  and 
comical  pictures  are  the  aids  which  he  brings  to  the  pupil  who 
aspires  to  the  French  Language.  Concurrrently,  the  learner 
imbibes  pure  English  and  good  French,  so  that  by  the  time  he  has 
thoroughly  studied  this  handy  and  amusing  little  manual,  he  has 
gained  a  fair  idea  of  the  construction  and  employment  of  the 
French  language. 

Doncaster  Gazette^  Dec.  2,  1878. 
Although  this  work  is  really  comic  in  its  illustrations,  it  is, 
nevertheless,  an  admirable  guide  to  obtaining  a  knowledge  of  the 
French  language.  It  does  not  profess  to  be  a  royal  road  in  com- 
pleting a  student's  education,  but  it  is  free  from  dry  superfluities, 
and  will  materially  facilitate  his  progress. 

Dundee  Advertiser,  Dec.  II,  1878. 
Grammar  is  anything  but  a  comical  or  humorous  study,  as  every 
school-boy  knows.  It  is  a  dry,  dull  subject  at  the  best,  so  that 
every  effort  towards  making  its  study  light  and  cheerful  ought  to 
be  encouraged.  Mr.  Drury  has  endeavoured  to  make  the  study  of 
French  easy  and  pleasant.  The  method  he  has  taken  to  do  this  is, 
by  interspersing  the  book  with  a  number  of  what  are  intended  to  be 
comic  cuts,  after  the  style  of  Tom  Hood's  *  *  Annual, "  with  only  a 
feeble  reflection  of  Hood's  humour.  The  grammar  itself,  discon- 
nected from  its  superfluous  comicalities,  seems  fairly  good. 

Hampshire  Advertiser,  Dec.  28,  1 8 78. 

Deserves  hearty  commendation  for  its  funny  illustrations,  which 
show  that  the  artist  is  thoroughly  imbued  with  a  sense  of  humour, 
as  well  as  for  the  witty  examples  which  the  author  gives  of  gramma- 
tical rules,  &c.  The  work,  however,  has  not  only  the  comic  element 
to  recommend  it,  for  it  is  one  of  the  best  elementary  works  on  the 
French  language  we  have  seen.  It  is  calculated  to  teach  the  lan- 
guage pleasantly  and  effectually. 

Liverpool  Daily  Courier,  Dec.  23,  1878. 

It  is  clear  that  Mr.  Drury  holds  a  high  opinion  of  his  "  French  in 
an  amusing  point  of  view ; "  the  comical  grammarian  hopes  to  prevent 
English  people  being  confused  by  French  equivalents  ;  and  he  cer- 
tainly does  convey  a  good  deal  of  information  in  small  space,  and 
in  an  amusing,  though  at  times  rather  vulgar  manner.  Its  arrange- 
ments will  prevent  its  acceptance  in  schools,  but  adult  learners  of 
French  will  more  rapidly  gain  an  insight  into  the  genius  of  the 
language  from  this  book  than  from  one  of  the  ordinary  grammars. 
The  literal  translations  from  French  into  English  form  a  noteworthy 
feature.  The  work  is  freely  illustrated  with  comic  sketches,  one  of 
the  earliest  of  which  is  "  Un  salut  h  V Anglais e,'^  the  picture  repre- 
senting a  person  in  a  carriage  exhibiting  what  is  called  the  Free- 
mason's sii?-n  in  one  of  Captain  Marryat's  stories. 


ERRATA. 

Fautes  d'impression. 
Faults  at  press. 

On  account  of  an  accident  whilst  at  press,  there  are 
three  errors  on  pages  88  and  89,  viz.  : — 

1.  On  page  88  a  broken  b  in  so?nebody. 

2.  On  page  88  read  "  le  beau  te?nj)s"  for  "  e beau  temps,'' 
the  letter  /  having  dropped  out. 

3.  On   page  89,  fourth  Hue,  a  letter  h   has   become 
broken  in  the  word  chanter. 

Also,  on  page  92,  read  "  ecuyer"  for  "  eaiyer.'^ 


1 


14  DAY  USE 

RETOKN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 

Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


7  ?,1ar'62RHl 

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REC  D  LD 

APR    31962 

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TT^oiA    cr,^  Q 'A1                                      General  Library 
'(?iV9tfSr4?6l'                               Uoivershy^ofCalifornia 

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